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Criminology Unit 3: Crime Scene to Courtroom – 180
Exam-Style Questions & Answers with Detailed
Rationales, Covering All Assessment Criteria from
AC1.1 to AC3.2, Including Personnel, Investigative
Techniques, Evidence Processing, Rights, CPS
Requirements, Trial Processes, Rules of Evidence, Case
Outcomes, Lay People, Validity, and Drawing
Conclusions
AC1.1 – Roles of Personnel in Criminal
Investigations (20 Qs)
Q1. Which of the following is the primary role
of a Scenes of Crime Officer (SOCO)?
A) Interview suspects
B) Secure and recover physical evidence
C) Decide whether to charge a suspect
D) Perform post-mortems
A1. B) Secure and recover physical evidence
Rationale: SOCOs (CSIs) are civilian experts who
attend crime scenes to locate, photograph, and
package physical evidence for forensic analysis.
Police officers secure the scene, the CPS
, 2
decides on charges, and pathologists perform
post-mortems.
Q2. Identify one major limitation of relying on
eyewitness testimony in a criminal
investigation.
A2. Eyewitness testimony is highly susceptible
to memory distortion and contamination.
Rationale: Human memory is reconstructive,
not a perfect recording. Factors like leading
questions, stress, and post-event information
can alter recall, leading to wrongful convictions
(e.g., the case of Ronald Cotton).
Q3. What is the main function of the Crown
Prosecution Service (CPS)?
A3. To review evidence from the police and
decide whether to charge a suspect and
prosecute the case.
Rationale: The CPS is independent of the police.
It applies the Full Code Test (evidential and
public interest stages) to ensure only cases with
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a realistic prospect of conviction proceed to
court.
Q4. Name the legal principle that requires
every contact leaves a trace, fundamental to
forensic investigation.
A4. Locard’s Exchange Principle.
Rationale: Formulated by Edmond Locard, this
principle states that whenever two objects
come into contact, there is a transfer of
material (e.g., fibres, hair, DNA). It justifies the
collection of physical evidence.
Q5. Evaluate one strength of using forensic
pathologists in a murder investigation.
A5. They can determine the exact cause and
approximate time of death through a
post-mortem, which is critical for identifying
suspects and corroborating alibis.
Rationale: Pathologists provide expert medical
evidence that is often admissible in court. Their
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findings can confirm or refute witness accounts
and help narrow the timeline of the crime.
Q6. Which of the following is a weakness of
criminal profilers?
A) They are always wrong
B) Their conclusions are based on statistical
patterns and can be speculative
C) They are not allowed to testify in court
D) They only work on property crimes
A6. B) Their conclusions are based on
statistical patterns and can be speculative
Rationale: Profiling relies on probability and
past crime data. It can produce false leads, and
profilers’ opinions may be challenged as lacking
scientific validity (e.g., the failure to catch the
Washington, D.C. sniper despite profiling).
Q7. What is the role of a police detective in the
initial response to a serious crime?
A7. To manage the investigation, coordinate
Criminology Unit 3: Crime Scene to Courtroom – 180
Exam-Style Questions & Answers with Detailed
Rationales, Covering All Assessment Criteria from
AC1.1 to AC3.2, Including Personnel, Investigative
Techniques, Evidence Processing, Rights, CPS
Requirements, Trial Processes, Rules of Evidence, Case
Outcomes, Lay People, Validity, and Drawing
Conclusions
AC1.1 – Roles of Personnel in Criminal
Investigations (20 Qs)
Q1. Which of the following is the primary role
of a Scenes of Crime Officer (SOCO)?
A) Interview suspects
B) Secure and recover physical evidence
C) Decide whether to charge a suspect
D) Perform post-mortems
A1. B) Secure and recover physical evidence
Rationale: SOCOs (CSIs) are civilian experts who
attend crime scenes to locate, photograph, and
package physical evidence for forensic analysis.
Police officers secure the scene, the CPS
, 2
decides on charges, and pathologists perform
post-mortems.
Q2. Identify one major limitation of relying on
eyewitness testimony in a criminal
investigation.
A2. Eyewitness testimony is highly susceptible
to memory distortion and contamination.
Rationale: Human memory is reconstructive,
not a perfect recording. Factors like leading
questions, stress, and post-event information
can alter recall, leading to wrongful convictions
(e.g., the case of Ronald Cotton).
Q3. What is the main function of the Crown
Prosecution Service (CPS)?
A3. To review evidence from the police and
decide whether to charge a suspect and
prosecute the case.
Rationale: The CPS is independent of the police.
It applies the Full Code Test (evidential and
public interest stages) to ensure only cases with
, 3
a realistic prospect of conviction proceed to
court.
Q4. Name the legal principle that requires
every contact leaves a trace, fundamental to
forensic investigation.
A4. Locard’s Exchange Principle.
Rationale: Formulated by Edmond Locard, this
principle states that whenever two objects
come into contact, there is a transfer of
material (e.g., fibres, hair, DNA). It justifies the
collection of physical evidence.
Q5. Evaluate one strength of using forensic
pathologists in a murder investigation.
A5. They can determine the exact cause and
approximate time of death through a
post-mortem, which is critical for identifying
suspects and corroborating alibis.
Rationale: Pathologists provide expert medical
evidence that is often admissible in court. Their
, 4
findings can confirm or refute witness accounts
and help narrow the timeline of the crime.
Q6. Which of the following is a weakness of
criminal profilers?
A) They are always wrong
B) Their conclusions are based on statistical
patterns and can be speculative
C) They are not allowed to testify in court
D) They only work on property crimes
A6. B) Their conclusions are based on
statistical patterns and can be speculative
Rationale: Profiling relies on probability and
past crime data. It can produce false leads, and
profilers’ opinions may be challenged as lacking
scientific validity (e.g., the failure to catch the
Washington, D.C. sniper despite profiling).
Q7. What is the role of a police detective in the
initial response to a serious crime?
A7. To manage the investigation, coordinate
