Andy Laws

Andy Laws is an acknowledged expert in the interpretation of imagery, and has appeared as an expert witness many times at Crown and Magistrates Courts. He has given evidence on the comparative interpretation of faces, clothing, weapons and vehicles. The evidence was supported by the use of specialist techniques such as photogrammetry, and stereoscopy.

Andy joined Kalagate in 2002 as Operations Director and Partner responsible for all Expert report production. Kalagate was subsequently purchased by LGC Forensics in 2009 for their extensive experience and expertise in Imagery Forensics.

Before joining Kalagate, and subsequently LGC Forensics, Andy had a long and distinguished career in the Royal Air Force (RAF), employed in a variety of roles relating to Imagery. He attended the Joint School of Photographic Interpretation (JSPI), where he qualified as an Imagery Analyst (IA) and was trained in all aspects of optical, infrared and radar imagery analysis and then qualified as a Strategic Imagery Analyst, serving at the Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre (JARIC).

He served as the Chief Targeting and Reconnaissance Officer in Bosnia and was awarded a Commendation for Meritorious Service. In 1995 he was appointed as the OC Imagery Interpretation, of a Jaguar Recce Squadron, spending six months of each year on deployment, conducting imagery analysis of tactical reconnaissance imagery in support of NATO Operations. In August 1996 Andy was promoted to OC Recce Support Squadron at JARIC. This unit was responsible for providing support to defence procurement programmes as subject matter experts on imagery analysis, and for the functional design of next generation imagery exploitation workstations.

In December 1998 Andy was appointed to the post of UK Chief of Targeting at the UK military HQ. Prior to retiring from the RAF in May 2001, he was employed at the RAF Air Warfare Centre as the Imagery Intelligence and Targeting instructor. Upon retirement he worked as a contractor providing specialist imagery analysis support and advice to government departments conducting various surveillance activities.

In 2000 Andy was awarded the MBE for services to Imagery Intelligence.

He is currently registered with a number of Expert Witness bodies and is the Chairman of the British Association for Human Identification (BAHiD) Forensic Imagery Analysis sub-group. Andy has lectured to the National Criminal Intelligence Service and given courses at the National Specialist Law Enforcement Centre, in addition to teaching on many varied military and law enforcement courses throughout the UK.