ISO 21043-5:2025
(Main)Forensic sciences — Part 5: Reporting
Forensic sciences — Part 5: Reporting
This document specifies requirements and provides recommendations for reporting of forensic work. This document is applicable to the reporting of forensic work performed at a scene and within a facility. The requirements facilitate the preparation and issuing of reports that are accurate, clear, transparent, complete, unambiguous, impartial and suitable for their intended use. This document also includes requirements relating to the review of case records and reports, the issuance and control of reports, and requirements related to testimony.
Criminalistique — Partie 5: Rapports
General Information
Relations
Standards Content (Sample)
International
Standard
ISO 21043-5
First edition
Forensic sciences —
2025-06
Part 5:
Reporting
Criminalistique —
Partie 5: Rapports
Reference number
© ISO 2025
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ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 General requirements . 1
5 Report contents . 2
5.1 General .2
5.2 Administrative requirements .2
5.3 Item integrity .3
5.4 Measurement uncertainty and significant figures.3
5.5 Reporting opinions .3
5.5.1 General .3
5.5.2 Reporting probabilities .4
5.5.3 Reporting likelihood ratios .4
5.5.4 Reporting estimations . .4
6 Case file review . 4
6.1 General .4
6.2 Technical review .5
6.3 Administrative review .5
7 Issue and control of reports . 6
7.1 Issuing reports .6
7.2 Supplementing, amending and withdrawing reports .6
7.3 Controlling reports .6
7.4 Communications of observations or opinions other than by way of a report .6
8 Testimony . 7
8.1 General .7
8.2 Testimony training and evaluation .7
Annex A (informative) Reports and other communication of information . 9
Bibliography .10
iii
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee
has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely
with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a)
patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that
this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 272, Forensic sciences, in collaboration with
the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) Technical Committee CEN/TC 419, Forensic science
processes, in accordance with the Agreement on technical cooperation between ISO and CEN (Vienna
Agreement).
A list of all parts in the ISO 21043 series can be found on the ISO website.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
iv
Introduction
This document is part of a series that includes the different components of the forensic process from scene
to courtroom. Other parts of the ISO 21043 series are:
— ISO 21043-1;
— ISO 21043-2;
— ISO 21043-3;
— ISO 21043-4.
The information on reports and other communication of information given in Annex A is provided for
information only.
v
International Standard ISO 21043-5:2025(en)
Forensic sciences —
Part 5:
Reporting
1 Scope
This document specifies requirements and provides recommendations for reporting of forensic work.
This document is applicable to the reporting of forensic work performed at a scene and within a facility.
The requirements facilitate the preparation and issuing of reports that are accurate, clear, transparent,
complete, unambiguous, impartial and suitable for their intended use.
This document also includes requirements relating to the review of case records and reports, the issuance
and control of reports, and requirements related to testimony.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 21043-1, Forensic sciences — Part 1: Vocabulary
ISO 21043-4, Forensic sciences — Part 4: Interpretation
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 21043-1 apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
4 General requirements
Reports shall be accurate, clear, transparent, complete, unambiguous, impartial and suitable for their
intended use.
The forensic service provider shall have a documented procedure for formally authorizing examiners to
issue reports.
Examiners shall not report beyond their area of expertise.
Examiners shall not report beyond what can be based on the available information.
Known limitations of methods, procedures, observations and opinions should be stated clearly in the report
or in an appendix attached to the report. If the known limitations are not stated in the report or in an
appendix to the report:
a) the report shall state that the information on the limitations is available; and
b) information about the known limitations shall be provided upon request.
Descriptions of any deviation from documented methods or procedures shall be included in the report if the
deviation can have a substantial impact on the observations or opinions. The reason for any such deviation
shall be explained in the report or in an appendix attached to the report.
Any terms that are not in common usage, or for which the specialist usage differs from the common use,
should be clearly defined and communicated to the customer (e.g. in a glossary appended to the report).
Annex A provides information on different types of reports.
5 Report contents
5.1 General
5.1.1 All reports shall include:
a) a description of the items examined including their unique identifiers;
b) a description of the examinations undertaken;
c) the results of examinations, including observations (as relevant) and opinions reached;
d) an identifier of the person(s) responsible for the content of the report.
5.1.2 All reports should also include or reference:
a) what was requested;
b) who made the request;
c) when the request was made or received;
d) the date items were collected or received;
e) identifying information for scenes examined, if applicable;
f) method(s) used;
g) additional information relied upon during the examination (e.g. photographs, other forensic reports,
task-relevant circumstances of the case that were considered);
h) a list of the items accepted for analysis but not analysed;
i) details of the environmental conditions under which the examinations were conducted if such conditions
were outside of the expected operating range and if such conditions can have affected the results of the
examination;
j) whether an analysis has been performed despite the suitability of the item for analysis having been
questioned by the forensic service provider;
k) a signature or e-signature of the person(s) responsible for the content of the report.
5.2 Administrative requirements
All reports shall include:
a) a t
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