Although popularly referred to as forensics, forensics science consists of a wide range of applications related to the legal system both for civil and crime actions. In more recent years, the large masses have been more exposed to what forensics science deals with when it comes to criminal act thanks to a large number of movies and life-based documentaries. Such materials depict the way a forensic investigation is conducted at the crime scene for instance. Thus, according to the laws and methodology of forensics science, experts gather all the information that is to be used in a court of law for the conviction of a criminal.

The practice of forensics science is nothing new and it seems to have been specific to certain cultures since the days of the Roman Empire. Records do exist in Europe and in some Far East countries such as China. By the 18th century, legal systems had already started using treatises in support of forensic medicine meant to clarify deaths and justify prosecution. This is how medical practitioners even came to identify arsenic intoxication, thus, managing to deal with poisoning cases. Such steps in police diagnosis contributed to the development of the forensics science as we know it today.

The applications or sub-divisions that are presently belonging to the wider domain of forensics science include forensic computer science, criminalistics, forensic anthropology, forensic geology, forensic toxicology and so on. As it results from these examples, the relevance of the forensics science is not necessarily related to the act of justice. There are certain subdivisions that serve well for archeology, geography and ethnology purposes for instance. Forensic anthropology identifies human remains, allowing the understanding of various cultural and historical aspects depending on the context and the exact place where the evidence was found.

Controversies have also existed over the years, mainly related to some aspects of forensics science that are not considered scientifically valid. For the moment, forensic dentistry can no longer convince whether the bite marks belong to one person, without any shade of a doubt. People charged and convicted starting from such evidence were released as in 1999, the American Board of Forensic Odontology showed that the possibility of false identification was higher than 60% in all such cases. Although it has come a long way, forensics science has a sinuous path to cover before reaching perfection.