Abstract
Technological advancements have generated tools to help with identifying individuals, allowing to verify identities and solve crimes by confirming found missing persons or accident victims, for example. An important ethical question, however, arises: do the ends always justify the means? Can facial identification from images collected by closed-circuit television cameras or analysis of photographic records confirm someone’s identity unequivocally? Can fingerprints or lip prints be used for any dactyloscopy? Knowing the limitations of scientific technical methods used in morphological comparisons allows examiners to comply with two fundamental constitutional principles: that of legality and right of the human person. By respecting them, examiners will be acting according to ethical limits.
Ethics; Facial recognition; Dermatoglyphics; Lip; Expert testimony; Forensic anthropology