Commentary on: Bohan TL. President's editorial--Strengthening forensic science: a way station on the journey to justice.

‘‘In any legitimate justice system, ... truth must play a paramount and integral role.... The very survival of the rule of law depends not only on a justice system that administers the law fairly, but a system that is just by being well-grounded in ... truth....[M]ore research is needed in the techniques and science already in use. With the importance of forensic science to truth and justice, the science employed and relied upon by judges and juries must be valid. It does not matter how well forensic scientists abide by testing protocols, or how reliable the techniques are, if the underlying science does not actually reveal what the expert says it does. Method validation studies and new research must be on-going even in the area of traditional forensic disciplines.’’ [Emphases added.]—Kenneth E. Melson, President, AAFS, 2003–2004