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Chamber and committees

Recognising the Legacy of Dr Henry Faulds, Originator of Fingerprint Identification, on the 150th Anniversary of his Medical Mission to Japan

  • Submitted by: Kenneth Gibson, Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party.
  • Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
  • Motion reference: S6M-15573

That the Parliament celebrates the 150th anniversary of Dr Henry Faulds, an Ayrshire man born in Beith in 1843, undertaking Scotland’s first medical mission to Japan; recognises his groundbreaking achievements, including being the first person to conceive and test the concept that fingerprints are a form of biometrics, that is, a unique means of identifying people, and that this discovery has revolutionised forensic science and criminal investigation worldwide; acknowledges his extraordinary contributions in Japan, where he not only founded a hospital and teaching facility, but also established a society for the blind, successfully halted a rabies epidemic, and eradicated a plague, and commends his enduring legacy as a trailblazer in medicine and science, while strengthening what it sees as Scotland’s historical and cultural ties with Japan.


Supported by: Colin Beattie, Miles Briggs, Stephanie Callaghan, Sharon Dowey, Annabelle Ewing, Bill Kidd, Liam McArthur, Stuart McMillan, Audrey Nicoll, Ash Regan, Kevin Stewart, Paul Sweeney