The Canadian Society of Forensic Science (CSFS; ) is a professional association aimed at maintaining professional standards and promoting and enhancing the study and stature of forensic science. Membership in the society is open internationally to professionals with an active interest in the forensic sciences.
The CSFS was founded on October 16, 1953, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The founding members were William Wallace Sutherland, Charles George Farmilo, James Alexander Churchman, Blake B. Coldwell, and Leo Levi. The society officially became a non-profit corporation on April 10, 1963, with the signing of the Letters Patent under the authority of the Companies Act.
The CSFS has an Executive Committee consisting of elected Officials and a Board of Directors. In addition there are several standing and special committees, including Awards, Finance, Membership, Nominating, Publication, Accreditation, Alcohol Test, Constitution, Drugs and Driving, and Informatics/Education.
The CSFS is further organized into sections representing diverse areas of forensic science, as follows:
There are six types of membership in the society: Regular, Fellow, Emeritus, Provisional, Associate and Student. As of May 2022, the society had 425 members of all types.
The society publishes the peer-reviewed, quarterly Journal of the Canadian Society of Forensic Science. It is devoted to the publication of original papers, comments, and reviews in all branches of forensic science, as well as other matters of forensic interest ( e.g., social sciences, law enforcement and/or jurisprudence). Abstracts from 1995 to the present are available online at the CSFS website.
The society holds a regular professional conference and Annual General Meeting. The location, specific dates, and themes vary each year.
In 2025, the conference was held at the Centre of Forensic Sciences in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The conference theme was âÂÂThe Power of ForensicsâÂÂ.
The society gives out the following awards: