SANCTIONS

Accreditation by ASCLD/LAB is recognized by the criminal justice system as a means of determining that a laboratory has met a set of internationally recognized standards of operation for forensic laboratories.  Once accreditation has been granted to a laboratory, it is expected that the laboratory will consistently remain in compliance with the standards under which it was accredited.  It is recognized that unforeseen circumstances may cause a laboratory to experience temporary non-compliance with some of the standards.  When it is recognized that the laboratory is experiencing or has experienced a period of non-compliance, actions must be taken by the laboratory to bring it back into compliance and to correct any potential miscarriages of justice.  Failure to take timely, appropriate and required corrective actions regarding non-compliance may result in any of the following sanctions:

Probation for a specified time during which the laborato­ry must comply with specified requirements and/or conditions.

Suspension for a specified time during which the laboratory has demonstrat­ed that the problem has been remedied.

Revocation for a specified time after which the laborato­ry may submit a new application for accreditation.

APPEALS

If the accreditation status of a laboratory is classified by the Board as probationary, suspended, or revoked, the laboratory director may appeal to the Delegate Assembly. Written reasons for appeal must be filed with the Executive Director within thirty days of the Board decision.  The Executive Director will provide a copy of the appeal to each member of the delegate assembly at least thirty days prior to its next annual meeting.  The laboratory director has the right to appear in person at this meeting to make representations.  The Delegate Assembly, at its annual meeting, will make a decision by a majority vote of those in attendance and this decision will be final.

When timing is such that appeal to the Delegate Assembly at its annual meeting will cause an undue hardship due to the delay, the appealing laboratory director may prepare a written appeal and request that the appeal be presented to the Delegate Assembly.  The Board shall then prepare a written response and distribute both documents to the Delegate Assembly through the mail for a determination by majority vote of the responding delegates.

REMOVAL OF SANCTIONS

Probation and suspension sanctions will be removed when the laboratory can demon­strate to the satisfaction of the Board of Directors that the deficiencies which resulted in probation or suspension have been correct­ed.  This may require an interim inspection, a successful comple­tion of the next regularly scheduled proficiency test or other measures which the Board may deem appropriate.  A laboratory which has had accreditation revoked must submit a new application for accreditation and submit to the accreditation process.