In 2008 the ENFSI board granted Special Project status for a European group to examine the use of hairs in the forensic context. This group covers human hairs, animal hairs, and the identification and comparison of hairs recovered from materials examined in forensic investigations.

 

Aims and Objectives

The general aims of the Hairs Special Project  Group are to raise the level of expertise in hairs examiners and to promote best Quality Assurance practises in the fields of expertise covered by the Group.

 

These aims are to be achieved by:

  • Ensuring that there is an interchange of information between examiners in different organisations across Europe through scientific meetings, personal contacts and a regular information bulletin.
  • Sharing information.
  • Promoting research covering the various types of examination conducted by members of the special project group.
  • Establishing good contacts between the Hairs Group and other relevant groups (either other ENFSI working groups or external organisations).
  • Considering collaborative exercises with a view to standardising the levels of conclusion reached in different organisations across Europe.

Promoting a consistency in methodology and techniques to enable results from casework and research in different European countries to be comparable.

 

Structure

 

Membership

Membership of the Group is open to all examiners of human and animal hairs who are employed by ENFSI organisations.  Guest membership will be extended to other individuals, either working for themselves or in non-ENFSI organisations, who carry out examinations in the relevant discipline.  Currently the Group has members from thirteen organisations across Europe.

Organisation

The Hairs Special Project Group has a Chairperson, a Secretary and a Steering Committee.  The Group had its inaugural meeting in Marseille, France, in October 2008 and further meetings of the Group are planned to be held annually.  The Steering Committee meets at infrequent intervals with the aim of ensuring that the Group is meeting its Aims and Objectives and following its Terms of Reference.
In 2010 the Project has resulted in the establishment of an extension of then the Fibres Working Group into a new Working Group: Textile and Hair.

Contact

Chair: Peter Lamb
Secretary: Chris Gannicliffe
Web editor: Eric Bouzaid