'Beyond reasonable doubt' or 'on the balance of probabilities': Laboratories and the legal system

Abstract

In the current climate of accountability and litigation in Australia, laboratory staff are increasingly being called upon to justify their professional behaviour in court. Laboratories receive and occasionally collect samples, perform tests and provide results which they are sometimes asked to interpret in a court of law. The intent of the test is usually, but not always, clear. The results may be used to determine the extent of commercial or regulatory compliance as part of dispute resolution, as evidence during prosecution, or in a formal enquiry.