The unclear connotation of probative value of evidence is the root cause of confusion in evaluating the probative value of expert opinions. The probative value of an evidence includes two aspects: credibility and probative force. The hybrid inference scheme of expert opinions combines credibility inference and probative force inference. The argument form for evaluating credibility conforms to the syllogism deduction structure of the expert opinion generation process, and the story scheme for evaluating probative force is based on the essence of probative force, that is, comparing the probability of the evidence appearing in competitive stories. The hybrid inference scheme is a generalization of expert opinion evaluation with defeasibility, and critical questions that match the inference scheme can invalidate arguments that conform to the inference scheme. In order to avoid bearing the potential adverse litigation consequences caused by proof evaluation, both parties should dynamically use critical questions to complete the tactical burden of proof.

 In China’s civil litigation, self-commissioned appraisal opinions are widely used as evidence. However, the theoretical community has not reached a consensus on the categorization of their evidence type, and there are contradictions in practice between strict proof and ambiguous legality, as well as conflicts between strong probative force and weak review rules. Re-examining from a normative perspective reveals that they do not fully meet the normative requirements of statutory expert opinions under China’s Civil Procedure Law, nor do they fall under the category of illegal evidence subject to exclusion. Considering the essential factors that contribute to the probative effectiveness of self-commissioned appraisal opinions, this paper argues that they should be classified as defective appraisal opinions and proposes the construction of a corresponding rule system for the review and determination of defective appraisal opinion. At the pre-trial conference stage, the commissioning party should fulfill the obligation of evidence disclosure by proactively disclosing the self-commissioned appraisal opinions and appraisal materials. At the level of evidence admissibility, the non-commissioning party has the right to raise evidentiary objections against substantive factors affecting the admissibility of self-commissioned appraisal opinions, and judges should deny their admissibility when reasonable doubts arise. At the level of probative force, since the defects in the neutral procedural value of self-commissioned appraisal opinions cannot be rectified, they should be categorized as evidence requiring corroboration. Although they cannot independently establish case facts, their probative force can be enhanced through other corroborative evidence.

 Joint appraisal is an important method for addressing the “mass-involved” specialized issues that involve multiple professions, appraisal categories, and regions. Compared with comprehensive appraisal, joint appraisal is more in line with the relevant existing regulations in China, and better highlights the new appraisal model of cooperation among multiple appraisal entities. In environmental damage cases, specialized issues are common, complex, and intertwined. The traditional model of appraisal by a single appraisal institution often has problems such as excessive duration and high costs, which seriously affects the choice of forensic appraisal by the case-handling authorities. Just as the “large-scale operation” model is often conducted in handling environmental damage cases, in the field of forensic appraisal of environmental damage, joint appraisal should also be used to address “mass-involved” specialized issues. To fully integrate resources such as talents, equipment, and information from all parties, restrictions on participating entities in joint appraisal should be relaxed, and the participating entities should be determined through selection by the case-handling unit, organization by appraisal industry associations, and other means. In addition, related information should be shared through joint meetings and other means, and consolidated into joint appraisal opinions based on opinions of various stages and regions.

The field of ecological environment and resource protection is the focus of procuratorial public interest litigation. Outdated technology and hidden illegal acts pose significant challenges to factual determination in related cases. Satellite remote sensing images, with their advantages of wide observation range and strong objectivity, have shown great potential in the field of ecological environment and resource protection, which can help to quickly discover clues in cases and provide robust support for restoring the truth. However, as a new type of scientific and technological evidence, they are still facing challenges in court for recognition and proof thereof. This paper analyzes the mechanism of judicial proof of satellite remote sensing images from the perspective of evidence law, and probes into their legal status as evidence. In order to ensure the legality, authenticity and relevance of satellite remote sensing images as evidence, it is necessary for procuratorial organs to actively use and strictly examine the images, for judicial authorities to maintain an open attitude towards the images, and for technical departments to strengthen research and training. All parties should cooperate to promote the wide application and in-depth development of satellite remote sensing images in forensic practice.

The identification of hazardous wastes serves an important technical basis and key step for recognizing the hazardous characteristics of industrial wastes. Hazardous wastes appraisal is a specialized activity aimed at determining the nature of waste in cases of environmental pollution involving waste and providing appraisal opinions. As one of the standards for the identification of hazardous wastes, the Identification Standards for Hazardous Wastes-Identification for Toxic Substance Content（GB 5085.6-2007） plays a vital role in identifying industrial wastes and appraising case-related wastes. By analyzing 50 identification reports and typical cases, this paper comprehensively reveals the issues existing in the practices of identifying toxic substances, particularly those composed of inorganic toxic components, in terms of detection methods, conversion methods, and result judgment. Furthermore, this paper analyzes the deviation between the implementation of the standard and the “in dubio pro reo” principle in practice, and proposes countermeasures to promote the development of a more comprehensive forensic system for hazardous wastes identification.

The International Network of Environmental Forensics (INEF)  2024 Conference was held in Galway, Ireland, from August 27 to 28, 2024. As the most influential academic exchange platform in the field of environmental forensics, researchers from various countries exchanged and discussed research findings, key issues, and development trends in their respective fields. The conference highlighted that the identification and detection methods for emerging contaminants, research on the environmental fate of pollutants, the environmental health risks and ecological impacts of emerging pollutants, and studies on pollution tracing and liability determination have become cutting-edge topics or widely discussed issues. This review of the conference aims to provide insights and references for the research and development of environmental damage forensic identification in China.

Objective To identify metonitazene in e-liquids seized from drug cases. Methods Methods of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) were established to identify metonitazene. The compound was also analyzed by ultraviolet-visible absorption spectrum (UV-Vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) methods. Results The GC-MS result showed that there was an unknown compound at the retention time of 15.295 min, and its characteristic ions were m/z 86 (base peak), 121, 58, and 382, which was identified as metonitazene by comparing with the standard substance. The structural information of the target acquired by UV-Vis, FTIR and NMR were supplemented. Conclusion The comprehensive use of various techniques to analyze metonitazene in e-liquid samples can provide structural information to confirm the detection of this kind of new psychoactive substances.  

Objective To establish a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) method for the rapid detection of three forbidden veterinary drugs, crystal violet, malachite green, and methylene blue, as well as two pesticides, thiram and thiabendazole. Methods Polyurethane (PU) yarn was used as a flexible substrate, and its surface was further modified with polydopamine (PDA) functional layer. The modified yarn (PU@PDA) was then immersed in a silver ammonia solution. The silver ions in silver ammonia complex can be in-situ reduced to silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by the reducibility of PDA. This produced the PU@PDA@AgNPs composite flexible SERS substrate material. Moreover, the sensitivity of the SERS material can be optimized by changing the concentration of silver ammonia solution to control the amount of AgNPs on PU@PDA yarn. The new material was then applied in the detection of three dye based forbidden veterinary drugs and two pesticides. Results The limits of detection for crystal violet, malachite green, and methylene blue can be as low as 1.0×10-8 mol/L, and the limits of detection for pesticides thiram and thiabendazole were as low as 0.5 mg/kg and 2 mg/kg, respectively. Conclusion This method is easy to operate, environmentally friendly, safe and highly sensitive. It can provide technical support for the rapid on-site detection of agricultural and veterinary drug residues.

 Objective To investigate whether there is a correlation in plantar pressure when the same person wears different types of shoes, and to explore the possibility of distinguishing between cloth shoes and casual shoes based on plantar ptessure patterns. Methods The Footscan plantar pressure gait analysis system was used to record the magnitude and distribution of plantar pressure of the subjects during normal walk when wearing cloth shoes or casual shoes. IBM SPSS Statistics 24.0 was used for data analysis, and Kendall’s W test was used to assess the consistency of peak pressure and impulse across different plantar regions, analyzing the stability of the plantar pressure distribution in each area. Kendall’s tau-b correlation test was used to examine the correlation for peak pressure and impulse between barefoot and shod conditions. Discriminant analysis was used to establish a functional model to compare the plantar pressure of the same person wearing different types of shoes. Results The distribution of plantar pressure in each region was relatively stable, and there were significant correlations between plantar pressure patterns when wearing cloth shoes and casual shoes. Discriminant analysis has high accuracy in distinguishing the plantar pressure patterns of the same person wearing different shoes. Conclusion During normal walking, the plantar pressure patterns of the same person wearing cloth shoes and causal shoes are significantly correlated and can be accurately classified, which supplements the theoretical basis of gait analysis. 

Objective The convenience of modification and duplication of electronic documents has made determining their origin and authenticity a significant challenge in judicial forensics. Utilizing the patterns of Revision Identifier (RSID) for document verification holds potential value. Therefore, it is crucial to explore the variation patterns of RSID in OOXML documents, expand the theoretical foundation, and address the limitations of existing verification methods. Methods By simulating various Chinese word processing environments, experiments were conducted to analyze the generation and variation patterns of RSID in OOXML documents across different software versions and application scenarios. General patterns of RSID generation and variation were summarized, and their forensic values were revealed. Results RSID exhibits certain patterns across different word processing software. Similarities and differences in RSID generation rules were observed across different software programs, and these patterns can assist in determining the origin and authenticity of documents to a certain extent. Conclusion RSID provides a new approach to authenticity verification for OOXML documents, offering significant theoretical and practical values. It serves as an important reference for researchers engaged in electronic document authentication.

Generative artificial intelligence （GenAI） empowers digital forensics with dual representation. At the macro level, the three core driving forces of algorithm, computing power, and data drive the paradigm shift of digital forensics research. At the micro level, technological principles empower the transformation of scenarios for digital forensics commission acceptance, digital forensics implementation, and digital forensics document generation. While GenAI empowers digital forensics to promote the continuous emergence of new quality productive forces in this field, its operating principles also pose challenges to its credibility and reliability in participating in digital forensics. Specifically, there is a lack of independence in digital forensics, doubts about legal responsibility attribution, low model accuracy, insufficient information security protection, and poor interpretability. To prevent the risks of GenAI application in digital forensics, we should draw on the regulatory experience of EU GenAI in scientific research, and provide useful reference for the development of GenAI in the field of digital forensics at the conceptual and practical levels.

Forensic pathology is a crucial component of judicial expertise practice, and the forensic pathology proficiency testing programme is one of the key links to guarantee the quality of forensic pathology identification. This paper systematically reviews the forensic pathology proficiency testing programmes carried out by the Academy of Forensic Science over the past 20 years. Quantitative analysis of the verification of forensic pathology proficiency was carried out with detailed data, and the regional differences of forensic pathology identification capabilities were accurately presented, revealing the correlation between forensic pathology identification capability and regional development, institutional nature and other factors. It provides a powerful data-driven reference for the high-quality management of forensic pathology system in China, the standardized development of forensic expertise industry and the continuous improvement of institutional quality and capabilities forensic institutions.