Canadian Society of Forensic Science

{{Short description|Canadian professional association}}

{{Use Canadian English|date=November 2024}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}

{{Infobox organization

| name = Canadian Society of Forensic Science

| image = CSFS logo.png

| size = 75px

| alt = Society logo

| abbreviation = CSFS

| formation = {{Start date and years ago|1953|10|16}}

| purpose = Professional non-profit organization for forensic science

| headquarters = Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

| region_served = {{plainlist|

  • Canada
  • Worldwide

}}

| membership = 425

| language = {{hlist|English|French}}

| leader_title = President

| leader_name = Pamela Dixon

| main_organ = Executive Committee

| affiliations =

| num_staff =

| num_volunteers =

| budget =

| website = {{URL|www.csfs.ca}}

}}

The Canadian Society of Forensic Science (CSFS; {{langx|fr|La Société Canadienne des Sciences Judiciaires}}) is a professional association aimed at maintaining professional standards and promoting and enhancing the study and stature of forensic science. Membership in the society is open internationally to professionals with an active interest in the forensic sciences.

History

The CSFS was founded on October 16, 1953, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.The History of the Canadian Society of Forensic Science, CSFS Journal, June 1978, Vol. 11, No. 2. The founding members were William Wallace Sutherland, Charles George Farmilo, James Alexander Churchman, Blake B. Coldwell, and Leo Levi.{{cite web

|url = http://www.csfs.ca/csfs_page.aspx?ID=29

|title = Biographical Sketches of Founding Members

|work = The History of the Canadian Society of Forensic Science

|accessdate = December 23, 2010

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110706174453/http://www.csfs.ca/csfs_page.aspx?ID=29

|archive-date = 2011-07-06

|url-status = dead

}} The society officially became a non-profit corporation on April 10, 1963, with the signing of the Letters Patent under the authority of the Companies Act.Journal of the Canadian Society of Forensic Science, Vol 37, No 1, March 2004, p. iii.

Present structure

The CSFS has an Executive Committee consisting of elected Officials and a Board of Directors. In addition there are several standing and special committees, including Awards, Finance, Membership, Nominating, Publication, Accreditation, Alcohol Test, Constitution, Drugs and Driving, and Informatics/Education.

The CSFS is further organized into sections representing diverse areas of forensic science, as follows:

There are six types of membership in the society: Regular, Fellow, Emeritus, Provisional, Associate and Student. As of May 2022, the society had 425 members of all types.

{{cite conference

| last1 = Rosland

| first1 = Mike

| last2 = Crossman

| first2 = Christine

| last3 = Cappelli

| first3 = Anna

| last4 = Sainte-Marie

| first4 = Stacey

| title = Report of the Membership Committee

| book-title =

| pages =

| publisher = Canadian Society of Forensic Science AGM

| date = 16 Jun 2022

| location = Virtual

}}

Journal

The society publishes the peer-reviewed, quarterly Journal of the Canadian Society of Forensic Science. It is devoted to the publication of original papers, comments, and reviews in all branches of forensic science, as well as other matters of forensic interest ( e.g., social sciences, law enforcement and/or jurisprudence). Abstracts from 1995 to the present are available online at the CSFS website.

Conference

The society holds a professional conference and Annual General Meeting. The location and specific dates vary each year.

In 2023, the conference is being held at the Ontario Tech University in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. Each conference has its own theme and this year it is “Forensic Science in Canada: An Evolving Community”.{{cite web |title=Conference 2023 |url=https://www.csfs.ca/whats-happening/conference-2023/ |website=Canadian Society of Forensic Science |publisher=CSFS |access-date=17 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602132755/https://www.csfs.ca/whats-happening/conference-2023/ |archive-date=2 June 2023}}

Awards

The society gives out the following awards:

  • Rita Charlebois Award, to provide financial assistance to a deserving candidate(s) to attend scientific meetings
  • CSFS Memorial Award, to posthumously commemorate the contributions to forensic science in Canada of society members who have died
  • CSFS Education Award, an annual award for promoting the field of forensic science
  • The Derome Award, to honour those individuals who had been active in the establishment of the profession in Canada
  • H. Ward Smith Award, to commemorate the contribution to forensic science in Canada of the late H. Ward Smith.

See also

References

{{Reflist}}