{"product_id":"fear-of-the-false-forensic-science-and-the-law-of-crime-in-colonial-south-asia-paperback","title":"Fear of the False: Forensic Science and the Law of Crime in Colonial South Asia - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eMitra Sharafi\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eFear of the False\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e uncovers colonial South Asia's critical role in the development of forensic science. \u003c\/b\u003eAround 1900, the government of British India created a web of institutions for the scientific detection of crime. Driven by anxieties about \"native mendacity,\" newly minted forensic analysts focused on uncovering faked evidence planted by South Asians. These experts, joining toxicologists known as \"chemical examiners,\" were supposed to extract objective, scientific truth in the service of British justice. But in trying to counteract the presumed tendency of colonized peoples to lie, the system enabled widespread misconduct by state experts, increasing the risk of wrongful convictions of South Asian defendants. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThrough scrupulously documented legal cases, Mitra Sharafi reveals that colonial dynamics put special pressure on the relationship between truth and justice. Examining falsity on both sides of the law through the use of testing to (mis)identify poisons, blood, and spermatozoa, as well as debates over adversarialism and inquisitorialism in the colonial courtroom, \u003ci\u003eFear of the False\u003c\/i\u003e explores advances in forensic science and shortcuts in criminal procedure against the backdrop of colonial mistrust.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThanks to generous funding from the University of Wisconsin Law School, the ebook editions of this book are available as open access volumes through the Cornell Open initiative.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMitra Sharafi is Evjue-Bascom Professor of Law at the University of Wisconsin Law School and the author of \u003ci\u003eLaw and Identity in Colonial South Asia\u003c\/i\u003e as well as articles on abortion, divorce, constitutionalism, the rule of law, and the legal profession in South Asia. She also hosts the South Asian Legal History Resources website.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 276\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.62 x 9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e April 15, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54097847976211,"sku":"9781501785986","price":50.31,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0965\/6300\/3667\/files\/MG1npKY51a9781501785986.webp?v=1777485050","url":"https:\/\/finduslaw.com\/products\/fear-of-the-false-forensic-science-and-the-law-of-crime-in-colonial-south-asia-paperback","provider":"FindUSlaw Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}