Public engagement project
Inside Forensic Science Podcast: Season 2
We look at historical investigations and ask forensic scientists, ‘what would you do differently today?’
Active
April 2023
Inside Forensic Science tells the story of a crime investigation through the eyes of forensic scientists. We look at historical investigations and ask forensic scientists,’ what would you do differently today? Season 2 of Inside Forensic Science looks at the trial of Madeleine Smith in Edinburgh in 1857.
Scroll down this page to listen to the podcast and view materials from the case. You can even explore the courtroom where the trial took place. If you wish to download the podcast it is available via all major podcast providers.
Inside Forensic Science tells the story of a crime scene investigation through the eyes of forensic scientists.
The podcast was commissioned by the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee. Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio production. The podcast was funded by the Leverhulme Trust. The series is narrated by Pennie Stuart.
Experts
- Dr Jonathan Morris, Scottish Police Authority Forensic Services
- Professor Eleanor Gordon, Affiliate (School of Social & Political Sciences), University of Glasgow
- Professor Niamh Nic Daeid, Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science, University of Dundee
- Dr Lorna Nisbet, Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science, University of Dundee
- Donald Findlay KC
- Dr Richard Shepherd, Forensic Pathologist
- Lady Dorrian, Lord Justice Clerk of Scotland, Scottish Judiciary
Thank you to all of our voice actors: Joe Reilly, Phil Latin, Craig Swan, Ian Boffey, John Harding, Andrew Thomson, Lynsey Moyes, Alan Richardson, David Bryce, Erica Holland, Russell Mullen, Alice Jenner, David Stuart, Iain McDiarmid, Dan Holland and Mark Stephen. Madeleine Smith was played by Keira Lucchesi.
Season 2: Trailer
Episodes
The trial of Madeleine Smith
A sketch of the Madeleine Smith trial in progress. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. (1857 - 1857). Trial of Madeleine Smith in the Scotch court of session. Retrieved from The New York Public Library Digital Collections.
360 tours
Here you can see the courtroom where the Madeleine Smith case took place in 1857 and what it looks like today. The High Court of Justiciary and Court of Session, collectively known as the Supreme Courts of Scotland, are situated in a central location in the Old Town of Edinburgh. The LRCFS team captured the courtroom for the first time using 360 technology.
Further links and resources
Did you listen to the podcast? Please let us know what you thought here.
- Report of the trial of Madeleine Smith before the High Court of Justiciary at Edinburgh
- National Records of Scotland Open Book Blog: Madeleine Hamilton Smith (1835-1928) – The Accused
- Glasgow Life – The Madeleine Smith Collection
Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science
LRCFSPublicEngagement@dundee.ac.uk