Among the papers presented to the October meeting of the Forensic Services Committee was a fascinating report detailing ten years of the Forensic Services Cold Case Review Team which showcased the incredible work undertaken with partners across the justice system to get closure for victims’ families – often many, many years after the crimes have taken place.

Launched in the autumn of 2013, the SPA Forensic Services dedicated Cold Case Review Team was established primarily to provide Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) with a more robust and consistent national cold case review service.

Science improves all the time and having a cold case review team is not a luxury for the justice system – it’s a necessary service. The work of the team is key to making sure that no one gets away with a crime. As Ruth McQuaid of COPFS said during our committee meeting: “Justice has no time limit."

From the beginning, the team have worked closely with the Police Scotland Homicide Governance Review team, based at the Scottish Crime Campus, and the COPFS National Homicide Team. The complexities involved in these forensic investigations are phenomenal and have featured in publications and TV productions, such as the recent BBC Murder Trial programme.

Over the past 10 years, using new forensic technology and adopting less frequently used testing techniques, the team have worked on more than 70 cold cases. These cases have spanned the whole of Scotland and extended internationally through the work on the Lockerbie Bombing enquiry.

Success is not just measured with a conviction, although these cases are the ones that tend to grab the headlines and the public’s attention. The Cold Case Review Team have assisted in several cases to prove all avenues have been explored with the most up-to-date scientific techniques available, providing reassurance for victim’s families that as much possible is being done to try to get a resolution.