Authorised Analyst Foundation Course

(with written examinations and practical workshops)

Mike was a Home Office Authorised Analyst from the late 1980s and in that time has attended a large number of courts for CPS, normally to defend the results and analytical approach. This has involved challenges to the statistical approach of reporting results as “not less than…” and many other technicalities employed by Defence lawyers in an attempt to persuade magistrates to find their client not guilty.

More recently, as FSS Principal Scientist, he has been responsible for managing the quality of the whole analytical process and implementing improvements for example addressing the “clotting” issue.

With the closure of the FSS there are now very few Authorised Analysts which is causing problems within the CJS with the requirement to serve the evidence as a full CJ Act statement along with all of the associated paperwork. It is thought likely that the Home Office will introduce a procedure for signing-off more Authorised Analysts in the near future. This course gives the background information required for the participant to gain the knowledge required by an Authorised Analyst.

The course is a detailed one including modules on:

• Legislation inc. case law
• Paperwork (MG DD forms)
• Roadside screening
• Evidential breath machines
• Blood and urine kits and sampling
• Defences
• Alcohol production and types
• Absorption, distribution and elimination inc. Michaelis-Menten kinetics
• Effects of alcohol
• Microbiology
• Analysis inc. standards
• Statistics behind reporting a “not less than” value
• Clotting
• Certificates v statements

The course will include workshops and written tests