How can courtrooms deal with the endlessly self-correcting nature of science?

Author and criminal psychologist Dr Julia Shaw lays bare the secret world of expert witnesses. An expert on the reliability of memory, she has submitted evidence in more than 50 trials in the UK, US, and Canada. In this series, she dives into five seminal legal cases where the outcome hinged on a crucial piece of expert evidence..

In this episode, Julia tells the story of David Gavitt who woke up one night to find the living room of his home aflame. He told the police he tried to save his family but couldn’t - in only minutes his house was on fire. Fire investigators believe he did it. But how sound is the science they are relying on?

Dr Julia Shaw speaks with long-time fire investigator Emma Wilson about the revolution that took place in the field of fire investigation, the phenomenon known as ‘flashover’, and what we should do when the science changes.

Presenter: Dr Julia Shaw
Produceer: Simona Rata

A TellTale Industries production for BBC Radio 4 Show less