Forensic metrology: Where law meets measurements

This paper is intended to give a short overview about the emerging branch of a new forensic science called forensic metrology. It is important to highlight the role played by scientists in proceedings and the relevance of scientific rules that, in the past, were not considered at all. This is especially true when measurement uncertainty is considered, since it apparently conflicts with the legal principle of certitude. Nowadays the attitude of courts is changing because of the reached awareness of the important information brought by uncertainty in investigating an event, even though building a bridge between scientists and legal people, who refer to different backgrounds, is quite a challenge, and is hard to win.