Errors in Criminalistics: the possible application of Sydney Declaration's principles in the Italian context

In recent times, criminalistics has been trying to adapt to scientific progress by fielding new methodologies to improve the quality of investigations, but at the same time, it shows signs of decline. An "identity crisis" generated by the occurrence of errors - both in the investigative and in the analysis phases -, which irreparably affect the probative value of a trace and can cause a mistrial. There have been many attempts to stem the critical issues reported, such as the guidelines and the operational protocols. None of these has led a full resolution of the problem. All that remains is to dwell on the solutions proposed by the Sydney Declaration and on the possible strategies for stemming the phenomenon.