Maliuska: Best model for development of forensic expertise is creation of separate executive agency

KYIV. Aug 30 (Interfax-Ukraine) – For the development of the system of forensic examination in Ukraine, it is necessary to create a separate specialized agency of executive power, Justice Minister of Ukraine Denys Maliuska said.

"The best model for the development of public experts is the creation of a separate specialized central executive agency, which would be provided with guarantees of institutional independence and to which all state departmental institutions that carry out forensic examination would be transferred," he said on Facebook.

Maliuska said the Justice Ministry has to solve many issues in forensic examination, in particular, these are low salaries, the absence of an effective control system for experts, outdated legislation and the absence of mechanisms to ensure independence, as well as insufficient opportunities for the development of non-state experts.

He said the ministry is already working on the development of this area, but the solution of these tasks will take "three more years."

"But there are results: deadlines for conducting examinations have been introduced and the number of examinations carried out has been significantly increased; electronic document management has been introduced at the examination institutes; a single Central Expert Qualification Commission has been introduced; the role of private forensic experts has been expanded, they have gained access to nine types of examinations, and their representatives joined the work of all specialized collegial bodies under the Justice Ministry," Maliuska said.