In the present day forensic accounting plays a huge role in many of the court cases publicized by the media. With the spotlight on the profession, this is a good opportunity to discuss the following topics: 1) Five skills that a forensic accountant needs to possess.
2) The role of a forensic accountant within a courtroom environment.
3) Analyze the legal responsibility a forensic accountant has while providing service to a business.
4) Examine two cases where forensic accountants have provided vital evidence in a case, summarizing their importance to the case.
The word forensic is defined as relating to the use of science or technology in the investigation and establishment of facts or evidence in a
…show more content…
Because of the need for forensic accountants in deciphering and analyzing liability and damages, their role in the courtroom, as businesses have continued to evolve, has expanded rapidly as well. While in the past, forensic accountants have conducted investigations into the assets of parties involved in divorce, or in supporting claims in construction disputes, now the list of roles has expanded to include antitrust cases, intellectual property disputes, securities litigation, and professional negligence lawsuits.(Tucker, 2011)
As laws and regulations continue to grow and become more complex, the need for forensic accountants is sure to continue growing as well. An example of how regulations have grown (mirroring the demand for forensic accountants) can be seen by comparing the scope and length of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, at 66 pages, to the 849 page Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection act of 2009.(Tucker, 2011) It is the environment created by such complex regulations and oversight committees that has hedged the need for accounting experts who can help demonstrate both the effects of individual companies on overall markets, as well as the opposite effects of market-happenings on individual firms. This complicated data, made comprehendible by a talented and effective forensic accountant, can serve as the determining factor in a case. Ultimately, this allows for
By attending Carlow University, I’m ready to gain the academic and professional training needed to better understand the knowledge and skills required to enter this specialized field. I enjoy the challenge of complex and demanding work environments and I am confident that this graduate program will provide me with a firm foundation for future work as a Forensic Accountant. Although I completed all my undergraduate studies
| (TCO A) An AICPA committee in 1986 broke forensic accounting into two broad areas:
This case established that an auditor could be sued by a primary beneficiary for damages from negligence. A primary beneficiary is a party that has a direct benefit from the audit. Non-privity parties could also sue for gross negligence. This increased the auditor’s legal exposure to third parties. The SEC of 1934 reflected these changes and many others; one significant change was that auditor’s had a much higher litigation risk due to their new responsibility to third parties.
An implicit theme of this case that I want students to recognize is the contrast between the persistent and vigorous efforts of David Sokol to “get to the bottom” of the suspicious items he uncovered in JWP’s accounting records versus what Judge William Conner referred to as the “spinelessness” of JWP’s auditors. The JWP audits were similar to most problem audits in that the auditors encountered numerous red flags and questionable entries in the client’s accounting records but, for whatever reason, apparently failed to thoroughly investigate those items. On the other hand, Sokol refused to be deterred in his investigation of the troubling accounting issues that he discovered. The relationships that existed between members of JWP’s accounting staff and the Ernst & Young audit team apparently influenced the outcome of the JWP audits. Of course, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
Forensic science and law are often seen as two opposing disciplines; forensic science is often presumed to be factual and law can be interpreted in multiple ways. Science and law reach conclusions in different ways which is an issue. Due to these differences, miscommunication is often the cause for miscarriages of justice. In order to address this problem, people working in the criminal justice system should have more knowledge of forensic science. There are many factors that contribute to the lack of understanding between forensic science and the people involved in the court process. Firstly, the adversarial model will be discussed in relation to how these procedures prevent effective communication between forensic evidence and lawyers. Secondly, the role that expert witnesses play in the presentation of scientific evidence and how jurors play a role in interpreting their evidence, will be considered. Thirdly it will be argued that lawyers and judges lack adequate knowledge of forensic science that is needed to conduct accurate trials. Lastly, possible solutions to improve the communication between forensic science and the actors involved in the criminal justice system. Juries, lawyers and judges should be more educated in understanding forensic science.
The foundation of all Forensic practice is in practicing, maintaining and protecting integrity and continuity of evidence as it establishes credibility and reliability in court and makes certain that any fabrication, misunderstanding, bias’s or even mistakes, have not occurred.
There are many different avenues that one could take in the field of accounting. It is a lucrative career with many areas of interest to be followed. I have chosen Forensic Accounting to further review and research. This paper will define forensic accounting, describe what it takes to be a forensic accountant, give some statistics about forensic accounting, and give my feedback on this potential career path.
For week four and five, I will conduct a presentation of these two cases. This presentation will be about my opinion on how important forensic science is in crime cases. To not make my project bias, the case of D.B Cooper will come in play. This presentation is essentially describing the benefits of forensic science. I will also another case where forensic science helped ease the case. I will also plan to show a statistical graph how the crimes committed before and after the advancement of forensic science. It is important to understand the importance of forensic science and should pay attention to how it works. I will also review it with my mentor to check any grammar mistakes and fix mistakes
Embezzlement is a common crime in large corporations, especially those where Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) operate under autonomy on fiscal activities. The organization that called upon us is huge in terms of personnel employed; however, their Information Technology (IT) department isn’t staffed or trained adequately for thoroughly investigating crimes of this nature. It is this reason the organization has reached out to the police department; where I hold the position as Chief of the digital forensics division, whose division with spearhead the investigation procedure. Capturing all the evidence used to commit crime will be tedious & complicated, but well within our sphere of capabilities (Nelson, Phillips, & Steuart, 2010, p. 14).
Forensic science is the application of scientific principles and techniques to matters of criminal justice especially as relating to the collection, examination, and analysis of physical evidence. (“Definition of Forensic Science”). Forensic Science is one of the most important parts in a criminal investigation, in order to identify and catch the criminal forensic scientist must first work their magic. Once the Forensic scientists arrive at the crime scene their job is record and collect evidence that was left behind such a DNA, shoeprints, and other physical objects at the crime scene. This just the start of an important process which will hopefully help determine who the criminal was. (“Crime scene forensics: How does it work?”)
Although forensic accounting is not a new field, it has become more talked about since cases like Enron came to light. For someone interested in the Forensic Accountant profession they should know that this field can be time consuming, but very rewarding. People who work in this career investigate white collar crimes
Accounting skills are useful for companies and individuals who are trying to maximize their profits and maintain a competitive advantage, but forensic accounting can help bring justice and peace of mind for many others by illuminating financial processes that can help explain criminal actions and behaviors. The purpose of this essay is to describe the five most important skills a forensic accountant may possess in order to become successful. This essay will describe each one of these traits and describe its application to business operations. Next the essay will describe the role of the forensic accountant within a courtroom environment and then also discuss the legal responsibilities that these professionals have to obey in the course of their work. Finally this essay will highlight two real world cases where forensic accounting provided vital evidence in a legal court case.
Forensic science is something that is commonly known around the world and is studies each and every day, so finding information was not a hard thing to do. Forensic science occupies the intersection of the law and laboratory analyses. These crime-fighting professionals carefully collect, process, and document pieces of evidence that are often invisible to the naked eye. Forensic scientists are responsible for solving some of the world’s most egregious abuses of people, institutions, and the environment.
Forensic accounting is “ an accounting analysis that is suitable to the court, which will form the basis for discussion, debate and
Forensic science involves the use of science to solve criminal and civil crimes but mostly lies on the side of criminal investigations. It makes it possible to identify the criminals based on the DNA traces they leave behind. It involves analyses of blood, DNA and other evidences and later on uses the findings as evidence in the court of law. It helps in solving the various crimes in the world and this has been the greatest contributor to the growth of the sector. Cases that were previously considered impossible due to lack of evidenced tracing to the victim can now be solved using forensic science evidences. The essay aims at analyzing the different aspects of forensic science that are used in the process of solving criminal activities. It will also look at the different cases that forensic science was used to solve crimes in a court of law.