The Central Institute of Forensic Science’s (Cifs) new chief Porntip Rojanasunan is proposing wide reform of forensic work by merging key forensic institutes and giving control of the new body to either the Public Health or the Justice Ministry.
Flamboyant Khunying Porntip Rojanasunant, regarded as the founder of modern criminal forensics in Thailand, turned into a politician early this year, speaking from the stage of Suthep Thaugsuban's "Shutdown Bangkok" rally in February. She is due to be given back her old job as chief of criminal forensics. (Photo by Thanarak Khoonton)
This would bypass her old nemesis, the National Police Office (NPO), altogether.
Khunying Porntip, who has been reappointed director-general of the Cifs, said she has drafted three options for the reform of both the Cifs, which is under the Justice Ministry, and the Institute of Forensic Medicine (IFM), which is under the NPO.
She would propose, under one option, that the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) separate the IFM from the National Police Office, merge it with the Cifs, and then transfer the merged organisation to come under the jurisdiction of the Public Health Ministry, Dr Porntip said Wednesday.
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Singapore was an example of a state where forensic science agencies were made part of the public health ministry.
This was to ensure that medical practice in forensic science work was always of a high quality, she said.
The ministry already has enough laboratories to support the work, she said.
In her second option, the IFM is separated from the NPO to merge with the Cifs, which will then be upgraded to a department under the Justice Ministry.
Australia was an example of a country where the forensic science agency comes under the justice ministry, she said.
In the last option, the IFM remains attached to the NPO to mitigate resistance against reform among police officials.
But the Cifs would be moved to a new security ministry that will be set up in the same format as the US Department of Homeland Security, said Dr Porntip.
After the Sept 11, 2001 attacks, the US in 2002 introduced the Homeland Security Act to create the Department of Homeland Security.
But in the case of Thailand, she said, the new security ministry essentially will be an upgrade of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc), by turning it into a ministry.
Dr Porntip said no other countries keep their forensic science agency under the police.