Forensic science derives its name from the Latin forensis, meaning ‘in open court’, and is generally taken to refer to the use of science in the service of law. Forensic science encompasses a diversity of actors, including an extensive and highly differentiated population of forensic practitioners, ranging from crime scene examiners and managers to laboratory technicians and specialist scientists. Forensic practitioners may work within a wide variety of subdisciplines and specialisms, such as fingerprint analysis or DNA profiling, through to areas as diverse as entomology, linguistics and computing. In addition, a broad array of actors from the wider domain of the criminal justice system can be considered stakeholders in forensic science. Included here are police officers, members of the judiciary, politicians, civil servants, commercial organizations, government bodies and general publics who may serve on juries or come into contact with the police. The development of forensic science is influenced by a wide range of interests, not necessarily limited to just law and science but which include political, media and commercial interests as well. Attempts to understand how forensic science upholds law and establishes authority and how it shapes understandings need to take into account the interactions among this plurality of actors and influences.