Professor Imwinkelried delivers keynote at international evidence conference in Germany

The seventh International Conference on Evidence Law and Forensic Science was held in Freiburg, Germany July 31-Aug. 2. The conference was conducted by the International Association of Evidence Science and hosted by the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Law.

On the first morning of the conference, Professor Ed Imwinkelried delivered a keynote address. In his remarks, he urged the conference to expand its goals beyond producing comparative law analyses that attendees can use to advance the cause of domestic law reform in their countries. He proposed specific actions the conference could take to promote international legal cooperation, such as coordination of national Central Authorities under the Hague Evidence Convention.

On the conference’s second day, Imwinkelried chaired a forensic science panel. Speakers from Canada, China and the United States discussed major developments in forensic science between the 1920s and the present.

That afternoon, Imwinkelried moderated an evidence panel. At the panel, presenters from China and the United States addressed several aspects of the doctrine of underlying logical relevance: the validation of scientific testimony, the authentication of exhibits, and proof of lay witnesses' firsthand or personal knowledge.

Professor Imwinkelried is a world-renowned evidence expert who has published extensively in the field.