A REVIEW ON THE RELIABILITY OF FORENSIC CANINES AND ITS JUDICIAL ADMISSIBILITY

S. Sharma, D. Tripathi, P. Yadav

Abstract:
Odourology, the science of odour formation, spread, and identification, has long been used for recognizing different odours including the human beings. Through the use of properly trained canines to compare odours from a variety of persons, including suspects or victims, forensic odourology is a technique for identifying human scents. A detection dog, sometimes referred to as a sniffer dog or canine, is a dog that has been taught to use its senses to find different objects, including explosives, illicit drugs, wildlife, money, blood, and contraband gadgets. Detector dogs are becoming an increasingly common tool in crime investigation and have been used in several forensic research domains. Using the sensitivity of a dog’s nose to identify a wide range of objects and substances, canine forensics is an essential tool in investigations. Although it is astounding, the ability of forensic dogs to locate human decomposition sites is not well understood, described, or standardized. Dogs have been successfully trained to recognize pathological illnesses in humans, such as COVID-19. For researchers in behavioural studies and brain research, canine olfaction offers a wealth of interdisciplinary opportunities for study. Owing to their accurate scent detection skills and keen sense of smell, forensic dogs in India are becoming more and more important in forensic investigations. But in Indian courts, judicial admissibility causes a thorough comprehension of scientific principles, training methods, and canine behaviour. In Indian legal procedures, the admissible requirements for canine testimony will be shaped by further research and an evaluation of case law.
Keywords: forensic odourology, canine forensics, detection dogs, forensic investigations, judicial admissibility.