The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) offers accreditation to laboratories that undertake forensic testing. One of the key activities forensic laboratories undertake is the testing of physical evidence often at a crime scene or the scene of an accident. In addition to testing the evidence and issuing reports, forensic scientists frequently provide testimony on the test results for judicial applications. To ensure that this evidence stands up to scrutiny in court, it is imperative that the testing methods used by the laboratory have proven and documented credibility. Accreditation provides assurance that a forensic laboratory has adhered to recognized practices and standards. Forensic accreditation is one of 10 SCC Accreditation Program Specialty Areas. SCC offers accreditation in the following forensic disciplines:
- Biology/DNA analysis
- Chemistry/Trace analysis
- Counterfeits
- Drug chemistry
- Equine drug testing
- Explosives
- Firearms and tool marks
- Questioned documents examination
- Toxicology