INACIF - Instituto Nacional De Ciencias Forenses de Guatemala

Background
The National Institute of Forensic Sciences of Guatemala -INACIF- was created by Decree 32-2006 of the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala published in the Diario de Centroamérica on September 18, 2006, as a result of the need to have adequate valid and reliable evidence in legal proceedings. It has the cooperation of experts and experts in forensic sciences who apply the technological, methodological and scientific advances of legal and criminal medicine, as essential elements in criminal investigation and of any other nature.

INACIF began its functions on July 19, 2007, and was born as an auxiliary institution for the administration of justice, with functional autonomy, legal personality, its own assets and with full responsibility for technical-scientific expertise.

Legal aspect

INACIF is an institution with functional and independent autonomy that arises as a consequence of the need to unify and strengthen forensic expert services in Guatemala, through the scientific development of the work it carries out as an autonomous institution, guaranteeing the impartiality and reliability of scientific technical research. thus contributing to the justice system. Its main purpose is to provide the scientific research service independently, issuing scientific technical opinions that provide the jurisdictional function with valid and reliable means of evidence in legal proceedings. It provides its services at the request of judges and prosecutors, INACIF does not act ex officio.

The Board of Directors of INACIF is made up of the President of the Supreme Court of Justice, the Minister of the Interior, the Attorney General of the Republic, the Director of the Institute of Public Criminal Defense, the President of the Board of Directors of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Guatemala, the President of the Board of Directors of the College of Chemists and Pharmacists of Guatemala and the President of the College of Lawyers and Notaries of Guatemala.