BAFS at 50

Fifty years have elapsed since the British Academy of Forensic Sciences (BAFS) was founded and held its first meeting in 1960, with Leon Radzinowicz, the distinguished Wolfson Professor of Criminology and Director of the Institute of Criminology at the University of Cambridge, as its first president. In October of the same year, the first issue of Medicine, Science and the Law, the journal of the Academy, was published. Francis Camps, who established the Department of Forensic Medicine at the London Hospital Medical College and was later appointed as the first professor of that department, was the first Editor of this journal.

The editorial in the first issue ¹ recognized the sorry state of the forensic sciences in the United Kingdom, stating:

‘by contrast with progress in other scientific fields, the forensic sciences have suffered from apathy and ignorance which has sometimes resulted in retrogression’

and went on to say that the object of the establishment of the Academy was its determination to reverse the situation by encouraging the study, improvement of the practice and advance the knowledge of the forensic sciences. It was envisaged at that time that it would encompass the broad scope of the forensic disciplines, bringing together a harmonious approach to the different subspecialties both in structure and development in the interests of justice, or as the editorial put it:

‘to provide a cross-fertilisation of minds, for which there was no real opportunity before, and by its special committee and in its meetings, it will foster research and education in the belief that new advances can be so achieved and in order to encourage a great awareness in all scientists the importance of forensic science’.

The first issue of Medicine, Science and the Law published the Academy's inaugural Presidential Address, delivered by Leon Radzinowicz on the subject of ‘The criminal law, criminology and forensic science’. ² Other articles included a paper on the facilities for postmortem examinations, highlighting the need for drastic improvements in public and hospital mortuaries. As far as some public mortuaries are concerned, facilities are still below acceptable standards today! Articles on isolated myocarditis, diminished responsibility and the investigation of skeletal remains preceded a feature on famous forensic scientists: the subject of this piece was Dr Milton Helpern, the Chief Examiner for the City of New York, who was arguably the leading forensic medical practitioner in the United States at that time. A section on ‘Law and the Scientist’ has been a regular feature since the first issue and continues to provide valuable up-to-date information for forensic scientists.

The aim of the current journal, as was its objective when it first appeared, is to continue to publish articles in the three broad disciplines of ‘Medicine’, ‘Science’ and ‘the Law’. The current composition of our editorial board representing different subspecialties, together with a distinguished group of consulting editors including editorial representation from around the world, will ensure that this balance is maintained.

Our readers will note that this issue, the first with our new publishers RSM Press, has been redesigned in a larger format and contains a number of changes, which we hope you will find improves the overall appearance of the journal and its accessibility. The Academy and the Editorial Board look forward to what I am sure will be a fruitful and constructive partnership with such a prestigious publishing group. As part of the new publishing arrangements, a full-text online version of the journal is now also available at http://msl.rsmjournals.com/ and the online content is freely accessible both to non-member subscribers and – via the BAFS website – to BAFS members. Additionally, the submission and peer-review process for all manuscripts is now also carried out online via the new submission site at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/msl/.

I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the hard work and professionalism of the staff of our previous publishers, Barnsbury Publishing, in playing their part, assisting the editorial board over the last few years to maintain the status of Medicine, Science and the Law as one of the leading forensic journals in the United Kingdom and internationally.

Since the journal was first published, the forensic sciences, as in all areas of science, have changed rapidly, and in many respects beyond recognition. Our aim, of course, is to keep pace with such changes and be at the cutting edge of publishing, commenting on and leading discussion on new scientific developments and other matters, which are germane to the forensic sciences.

We look forward to the continued success of the journal and, as stated in the objectives of the Academy and its journal 50 years ago, to improving research and documenting current developments in the forensic sciences as well as promoting the business of the Academy through its meetings, courses, lectures and other academic pursuits.