From bias awareness to governance control: Regulating human factors across the forensic science evidence lifecycle

Cognitive bias is widely recognized as a persistent source of error in forensic science, yet mitigation efforts continue to emphasize examiner awareness, ethical vigilance, and training-based interventions. Empirical evidence from cognitive science demonstrates that such approaches are insufficient to reliably control bias under real-world operational conditions. This paper applies a lifecycle-based governance analysis to forensic science practice, synthesizing empirical bias research with established models of bias cascade and bias snowball effects. Using the forensic science evidence lifecycle as an analytical framework, it identifies where contextual information, organizational pressures, and interdependent decisions allow bias to accumulate and persist across stages of forensic work. The analysis shows that procedural countermeasures alone-such as decision sequencing-are necessary but insufficient, particularly in high-risk decision environments. Effective bias mitigation instead requires governance mechanisms capable of regulating information flow, compartmentalization, independent review, reporting structure, and accountability across the full evidence lifecycle. By reframing cognitive bias as a governance obligation rather than an individual failing, this paper advances a practical, systems-based framework for improving forensic science reliability that complements existing accreditation and quality management structures.