July 24, 2000 - Publications Unit - The University of Western Australia

4 UWA newsNew course provesits caseContinued from page 1up their time to hear the mootcases and cross-examine thestudents.Judges Shauna Deane and PaulHealy each gave a day to sit on thecases.Professor Bailey said the ninegraduates were already in work. Twowere serving members of the WAPolice Force (working in the forensicarea but wanting professional training),and another is in training at the PoliceAcademy. Others have work with thePathCentre and the Federal Police.“We want more lawyers and policeto do the course. It’s especiallyimportant to lay juries that forensicexperts can show their qualifications.Cases like Lindy Chamberlain’s swungon the ‘pieces of paper’ produced byforensic experts who were brought inby the defence from overseas. Theprosecution didn’t have those ‘piecesof paper’ to prove their expertise and“It’s especially important tolay juries that forensicexperts can show theirqualifications . . . theprosecution (in the LindyChamberlain case) didn’thave those ‘pieces of paper’to prove their expertise andthat case failed theAustralian public . . .”ABOVE: Executive Dean, Professor GeorgeStewart and Professor Win Bailey at thecourthouse.LEFT: Dr Ian Dadour, supervising thecase studies with Professor Win Bailey.that case failed the Australian public,”Dr Dadour said.About 30 UWA staff, from five outof the six faculties, contribute to theGraduate Diploma in Forensic Science.The unit also links with the University’sCrime Research Centre and usesexpertise from the PathCentre, CSIRO,the Chemistry Centre and AgricultureWA.As well as the graduate diploma(equivalent to one year of full-timestudy), the unit also offers a master’sdegree in forensic science (two yearsof full-time study).Clearing the way for war victims’ future Continued from page 3There are currently no availablemeasurements on mine detection dogperformance, although dogs have beenused, with some degree of success.Recent failures by dogs in BosniaHerzegovina have caused great concern.Associate Professor Trevelyan’swork in Lebanon has helped to drawinternational attention to the mineproblems there, where casualty ratesexceed levels in Bosnia and Croatia.“The recent withdrawal of Israeliforces will enable Lebanon to startclearance operations in the south of thecountry.“However, they will need assistancefor this work. Israeli authorities haveundertaken to provide locations of theminefields their forces laid, butexperience in Jordan shows that evenprecisely located minefields pose hugeproblems for deminers,” he said.An Afghan deminer uses his dog to sniff out buried mines.RIGHT: Project officerSabbia Tilli with theprotective suit,designed to protectAfghan deminers whoprefer to squat as theywork in the field.THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • JULY 24 2000