A Bill to place a duty on the forensic science regulator to establish a code of practice and conduct for the providers and practitioners of forensic linguistics in the criminal justice system; to make provision about the required scientific quality standards for the discipline; and for connected purposes.
House of Commons
12 May 2016
If enacted, the bill would require the Forensic Science Regulator to create a code of practice and conduct for providers and practitioners of forensic linguistics involved in criminal cases, and to set the scientific quality standards for the discipline. The aim is to improve the reliability, consistency and transparency of linguistic evidence used in court by clarifying how forensic linguistics should be carried out and reported.
The bill is currently at the Second Reading in the House of Commons. If it progresses, it would move to Committee scrutiny and subsequent stages, and then to the House of Lords if approved by the Commons.
Generated 21 February 2026
The 2015-16 session of Parliament has ended and this Bill will make no further progress.
This Bill was introduced to Parliament on Wednesday 20 April 2016 under the Ten Minute Rule. This allows an MP to make his or her case for a new bill in a speech lasting up to ten minutes. An opposing speech may also be made before the House decides whether or not the bill should be introduced. If the MP is successful the bill is taken to have had its first reading.
No recorded votes for this bill yet.
