Forensic Expert Council

Main tasks of the Forensic Expert Council:

The Forensic Expert Council of the UAPE (Ukrainian Association of Polygraph Examiners)
The Forensic Expert Council is a key institution within the Ukrainian Association of Polygraph Examiners (“UAPE”), which was created to promote and ensure the quality, scientific validity, standardization and ethical principles of the use of polygraphs in the field of justice.
The Forensic Expert Council of the UAPE consists of members of the UAPE, who are certified forensic experts in accordance with the expert specialty 14.1 “Psychological research.”
Currently, there are  14 certified forensic experts among the members of the UAPE, who conduct forensic psychological and expert examinations using computerized polygraph. No other public organization of polygraph examiners in Ukraine has such a considerable number of certified forensic experts.
The members of the Forensic Expert Council of the UAPE elected among themselves the head of the Council, Svitlana Valeriyivna Lasunova.

Services of The Forensic Expert Council of the UAPE include:
Development of standards and methodologies:
• Development and improvement of methodologies and methodological recommendations for administering polygraph examinations that correspond to the requirements of justice;
• Establishment of standards of admissibility of evidence obtained through the use of polygraph, and the criteria for assessing its reliability;
• Improvement of the standards for polygraphs that are permissible for use in forensic psychological examinations.

Expert:
• Conduct independent examinations and preparation of expert opinions for use in court;
• Review and analysis of the expert opinions provided by other specialists to assess the quality of such opinions, and its compliance with the methodologies and current standards.

Consultation:
• Establishment and maintenance of relationships with courts and other divisions of the Department of Justice to exchange experience and develop recommendations for use of polygraphs;
• Providing advice to courts, law enforcement agencies, and attorneys on the issues of polygraph use in judicial practice and proceedings.

Scientific research:
• Participation in scientific research activities aimed at popularization and explanation of the features of forensic psychological examination using computerized polygraphs;
• Analysis and examination of the international experience pertaining to use of polygraph in courts;
• Conduct scientific research aimed at increasing accuracy and reliability of polygraph examinations in the context of court proceedings.

Development of ethical norms:
• Establishment of ethical principles of conduct for forensic polygraph expert witnesses.