IES - Institute of Forensic Research
Poland
Iustitia et Scientia is the motto of the Professor Jan Sehn Institute of Forensic Research in Krakow which was established in 1929 by the Minister of Justice. The Institute is the only academic and research centre of its kind under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice in Poland.
Its statutory duties include forensic research, preparation of expert reports for courts and public prosecutors in criminal and civil cases, development, training, and awareness-raising in the field of forensic sciences, aimed especially at lawyers and administrators of justice.
It currently comprises: the Department of Forensic Toxicology, the Department of Criminalistics, the Department of Road Accident Research, the Department of Forensic Psychology and the Forensic Haemogenetics Section. About 120 specialists employed by the Institute represent a variety of disciplines, including: chemistry, biology, toxicology, commodities science, mechanical engineering, physics, psychology and philology. They make use of the latest advances in science when preparing reports and researching in the service of the administration of justice.
In 1998 the Institute became a member of European Network Forensic Sciences Institutes (ENFSI). Every year the Institute participated in scientific projects supported by State Committee for Scientific Research. It has also participated in several European grants programs (TEMPUS, Leonardo da Vinci, and other projects). In 1994 form of activity has been inaugurated: specialised courses for professionals selected from among the staff of administration of justice. It has led to establishing in 2000 the Forensic Science Education Centre. It all makes that today the Institute of Forensic Research is no longer just the leading forensic laboratory in Poland, but an academic and research centre as well.