A response to EA-4/23 INF:2025 “The Assessment and Accreditation of Opinions and Interpretations using ISO/IEC 17025:2017”

Geoffrey Stewart Morrison; Alex Biedermann; Matt Tart; Didier Meuwly; Charles E.H. Berger; June Guiness; Max M. Houck; Caroline Gibb; A. Philip Dawid; Kyriakos N. Kotsoglou; David H. Kaye; Phil Rose; Franco Taroni; Bas Kokshoorn; Michael J. Saks; John S. Buckleton; James M. Curran; Duncan Taylor; Cuiling Zhang; Joëlle Vuille; Christophe Champod; Bo Thisted Simonsen; Aldo Mattei; José Juan Lucena-Molina; Sandy Zabell; Jason M. Chin; Matteo Gallidabino; Gerhard Wevers; Reuben Moreton; Heidi Eldridge; Kristy A. Martire; Colin G.G. Aitken; Simon A. Cole; Joaquín González-Rodríguez; Michel Smithuis; Trine Edvardsen; Linzi Wilson-Wilde; Grzegorz Zadora; Simone Gittelson; Graham Jackson; Marjan Sjerps; Frédéric Brard; Tacha Hicks; Jarrah Kennedy; Bartholomeus G.H. Latten; Philip Weber; Sheila Willis; Daniel Ramos; Jonathan J. Koehler; Rafael Oliveira Ribeiro; Frank Crispino; Nabanita Basu; Georgina E. Meakin; K. Paul Kirkbride; Gillian Tully; Michael Jessen; Denise Syndercombe Court

doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2025.112589

A response to EA-4/23 INF:2025 “The Assessment and Accreditation of Opinions and Interpretations using ISO/IEC 17025:2017”

Geoffrey Stewart Morrison
, Alex Biedermann
, Matt Tart
, Didier Meuwly
, Charles E.H. Berger
, June Guiness
, Max M. Houck
, Caroline Gibb
, A. Philip Dawid
, Kyriakos N. Kotsoglou
, David H. Kaye
, Phil Rose
, Franco Taroni
, Bas Kokshoorn
, Michael J. Saks
, John S. Buckleton
, James M. Curran
, Duncan Taylor
, Cuiling Zhang
, Joëlle Vuille

Christophe Champod, Bo Thisted Simonsen, Aldo Mattei, José Juan Lucena-Molina, Sandy Zabell, Jason M. Chin, Matteo Gallidabino, Gerhard Wevers, Reuben Moreton, Heidi Eldridge, Kristy A. Martire, Colin G.G. Aitken, Simon A. Cole, Joaquín González-Rodríguez, Michel Smithuis, Trine Edvardsen, Linzi Wilson-Wilde, Grzegorz Zadora, Simone Gittelson, Graham Jackson, Marjan Sjerps, Frédéric Brard, Tacha Hicks, Jarrah Kennedy, Bartholomeus G.H. Latten, Philip Weber, Sheila Willis, Daniel Ramos, Jonathan J. Koehler, Rafael Oliveira Ribeiro, Frank Crispino, Nabanita Basu, Georgina E. Meakin, K. Paul Kirkbride, Gillian Tully, Michael Jessen, Denise Syndercombe Court

College of Science and Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We are concerned that EA-4/23 INF:2025 The Assessment and Accreditation of Opinions and Interpretations using ISO/IEC 17025:2017 provides inappropriate guidance on how to conduct forensic interpretation and on how to report forensic opinions. Following this guidance would result in misleading statements being provided to legal decision makers, which would potentially have adverse consequences.

EA-4/23 INF is a document published by the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA). The second revision was published 2025-04-30, and it is available from https://european-accreditation.org/publications/ea-4–23-inf/.

The stated aim of EA-4/23 INF:2025 is as follows...

Original language	English
Article number	112589
Number of pages	5
Journal	Forensic Science International
Volume	376
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2025.112589
Publication status	Published - Nov 2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production

Keywords

EA-4/23
Forensic science
Interpretation
ISO 21043
ISO/IEC 17025
Opinion

Access to Document

10.1016/j.forsciint.2025.112589Licence: In Copyright

Cite this

Morrison, G. S., Biedermann, A., Tart, M., Meuwly, D., Berger, C. E. H., Guiness, J., Houck, M. M., Gibb, C., Dawid, A. P., Kotsoglou, K. N., Kaye, D. H., Rose, P., Taroni, F., Kokshoorn, B., Saks, M. J., Buckleton, J. S., Curran, J. M., Taylor, D., Zhang, C., ... Syndercombe Court, D. (2025). A response to EA-4/23 INF:2025 “The Assessment and Accreditation of Opinions and Interpretations using ISO/IEC 17025:2017”. Forensic Science International, 376, Article 112589. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2025.112589

@article{211235182a4b4251b50b497e184efdcd,

title = "A response to EA-4/23 INF:2025 “The Assessment and Accreditation of Opinions and Interpretations using ISO/IEC 17025:2017”",

abstract = "We are concerned that EA-4/23 INF:2025 The Assessment and Accreditation of Opinions and Interpretations using ISO/IEC 17025:2017 provides inappropriate guidance on how to conduct forensic interpretation and on how to report forensic opinions. Following this guidance would result in misleading statements being provided to legal decision makers, which would potentially have adverse consequences. EA-4/23 INF is a document published by the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA). The second revision was published 2025-04-30, and it is available from https://european-accreditation.org/publications/ea-4–23-inf/. The stated aim of EA-4/23 INF:2025 is as follows...",

keywords = "EA-4/23, Forensic science, Interpretation, ISO 21043, ISO/IEC 17025, Opinion",

author = "Morrison, \{Geoffrey Stewart\} and Alex Biedermann and Matt Tart and Didier Meuwly and Berger, \{Charles E.H.\} and June Guiness and Houck, \{Max M.\} and Caroline Gibb and Dawid, \{A. Philip\} and Kotsoglou, \{Kyriakos N.\} and Kaye, \{David H.\} and Phil Rose and Franco Taroni and Bas Kokshoorn and Saks, \{Michael J.\} and Buckleton, \{John S.\} and Curran, \{James M.\} and Duncan Taylor and Cuiling Zhang and Jo{\"e}lle Vuille and Christophe Champod and Simonsen, \{Bo Thisted\} and Aldo Mattei and Lucena-Molina, \{Jos{\'e} Juan\} and Sandy Zabell and Chin, \{Jason M.\} and Matteo Gallidabino and Gerhard Wevers and Reuben Moreton and Heidi Eldridge and Martire, \{Kristy A.\} and Aitken, \{Colin G.G.\} and Cole, \{Simon A.\} and Joaqu{\'i}n Gonz{\'a}lez-Rodr{\'i}guez and Michel Smithuis and Trine Edvardsen and Linzi Wilson-Wilde and Grzegorz Zadora and Simone Gittelson and Graham Jackson and Marjan Sjerps and Fr{\'e}d{\'e}ric Brard and Tacha Hicks and Jarrah Kennedy and Latten, \{Bartholomeus G.H.\} and Philip Weber and Sheila Willis and Daniel Ramos and Koehler, \{Jonathan J.\} and Ribeiro, \{Rafael Oliveira\} and Frank Crispino and Nabanita Basu and Meakin, \{Georgina E.\} and Kirkbride, \{K. Paul\} and Gillian Tully and Michael Jessen and \{Syndercombe Court\}, Denise",

year = "2025",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1016/j.forsciint.2025.112589",

language = "English",

volume = "376",

journal = "Forensic Science International",

issn = "0379-0738",

publisher = "Elsevier Ireland Ltd",

}

Morrison, GS, Biedermann, A, Tart, M, Meuwly, D, Berger, CEH, Guiness, J, Houck, MM, Gibb, C, Dawid, AP, Kotsoglou, KN, Kaye, DH, Rose, P, Taroni, F, Kokshoorn, B, Saks, MJ, Buckleton, JS, Curran, JM, Taylor, D, Zhang, C, Vuille, J, Champod, C, Simonsen, BT, Mattei, A, Lucena-Molina, JJ, Zabell, S, Chin, JM, Gallidabino, M, Wevers, G, Moreton, R, Eldridge, H, Martire, KA, Aitken, CGG, Cole, SA, González-Rodríguez, J, Smithuis, M, Edvardsen, T, Wilson-Wilde, L, Zadora, G, Gittelson, S, Jackson, G, Sjerps, M, Brard, F, Hicks, T, Kennedy, J, Latten, BGH, Weber, P, Willis, S, Ramos, D, Koehler, JJ, Ribeiro, RO, Crispino, F, Basu, N, Meakin, GE, Kirkbride, KP, Tully, G, Jessen, M & Syndercombe Court, D 2025, 'A response to EA-4/23 INF:2025 “The Assessment and Accreditation of Opinions and Interpretations using ISO/IEC 17025:2017”', Forensic Science International, vol. 376, 112589. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2025.112589

TY - JOUR

T1 - A response to EA-4/23 INF:2025 “The Assessment and Accreditation of Opinions and Interpretations using ISO/IEC 17025:2017”

AU - Morrison, Geoffrey Stewart

AU - Biedermann, Alex

AU - Tart, Matt

AU - Meuwly, Didier

AU - Berger, Charles E.H.

AU - Guiness, June

AU - Houck, Max M.

AU - Gibb, Caroline

AU - Dawid, A. Philip

AU - Kotsoglou, Kyriakos N.

AU - Kaye, David H.

AU - Rose, Phil

AU - Taroni, Franco

AU - Kokshoorn, Bas

AU - Saks, Michael J.

AU - Buckleton, John S.

AU - Curran, James M.

AU - Taylor, Duncan

AU - Zhang, Cuiling

AU - Vuille, Joëlle

AU - Champod, Christophe

AU - Simonsen, Bo Thisted

AU - Mattei, Aldo

AU - Lucena-Molina, José Juan

AU - Zabell, Sandy

AU - Chin, Jason M.

AU - Gallidabino, Matteo

AU - Wevers, Gerhard

AU - Moreton, Reuben

AU - Eldridge, Heidi

AU - Martire, Kristy A.

AU - Aitken, Colin G.G.

AU - Cole, Simon A.

AU - González-Rodríguez, Joaquín

AU - Smithuis, Michel

AU - Edvardsen, Trine

AU - Wilson-Wilde, Linzi

AU - Zadora, Grzegorz

AU - Gittelson, Simone

AU - Jackson, Graham

AU - Sjerps, Marjan

AU - Brard, Frédéric

AU - Hicks, Tacha

AU - Kennedy, Jarrah

AU - Latten, Bartholomeus G.H.

AU - Weber, Philip

AU - Willis, Sheila

AU - Ramos, Daniel

AU - Koehler, Jonathan J.

AU - Ribeiro, Rafael Oliveira

AU - Crispino, Frank

AU - Basu, Nabanita

AU - Meakin, Georgina E.

AU - Kirkbride, K. Paul

AU - Tully, Gillian

AU - Jessen, Michael

AU - Syndercombe Court, Denise

PY - 2025/11

Y1 - 2025/11

N2 - We are concerned that EA-4/23 INF:2025 The Assessment and Accreditation of Opinions and Interpretations using ISO/IEC 17025:2017 provides inappropriate guidance on how to conduct forensic interpretation and on how to report forensic opinions. Following this guidance would result in misleading statements being provided to legal decision makers, which would potentially have adverse consequences. EA-4/23 INF is a document published by the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA). The second revision was published 2025-04-30, and it is available from https://european-accreditation.org/publications/ea-4–23-inf/. The stated aim of EA-4/23 INF:2025 is as follows...

AB - We are concerned that EA-4/23 INF:2025 The Assessment and Accreditation of Opinions and Interpretations using ISO/IEC 17025:2017 provides inappropriate guidance on how to conduct forensic interpretation and on how to report forensic opinions. Following this guidance would result in misleading statements being provided to legal decision makers, which would potentially have adverse consequences. EA-4/23 INF is a document published by the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA). The second revision was published 2025-04-30, and it is available from https://european-accreditation.org/publications/ea-4–23-inf/. The stated aim of EA-4/23 INF:2025 is as follows...

KW - EA-4/23

KW - Forensic science

KW - Interpretation

KW - ISO 21043

KW - ISO/IEC 17025

KW - Opinion

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105012989121

U2 - 10.1016/j.forsciint.2025.112589

DO - 10.1016/j.forsciint.2025.112589

M3 - Letter

AN - SCOPUS:105012989121

SN - 0379-0738

VL - 376

JO - Forensic Science International

JF - Forensic Science International

M1 - 112589

ER -

A response to EA-4/23 INF:2025 “The Assessment and Accreditation of Opinions and Interpretations using ISO/IEC 17025:2017”

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this