Children: Private Law Update (Spring 2018) – Family Law Week
‘Alex Verdan QC of 4 Paper Buildings reviews recent important judgments in private law children cases.’
Family Law Week, 27th April 2018
Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk
Category: forensic science
Police outsource digital forensic work to unaccredited labs – The Guardian
‘More than a dozen police forces have outsourced digital forensic investigative work to unaccredited private laboratories in the past year, at a time when a series of rape cases have been abandoned because of problems with digital evidence.’
The Guardian, 12th February 2018
Source: www.theguardian.com
Falling forensic science standards ‘making miscarriages of justice inevitable’ – The Guardian
‘Police forces are failing to meet the official standards for forensic science, making miscarriages of justice inevitable, the government’s forensic regulator has said. In her annual report, Gillian Tully highlighted her growing concerns about the failure of some forensic firms used by the police to meet basic quality standards. It means innocent people could be wrongly convicted and offenders escaping justice.’
The Guardian, 19th January 2018
Source: www.theguardian.com
Poppi Worthington was sexually abused by father, coroner rules – The Guardian
‘A “fit and active, robust little girl” suffocated after being sexually abused by her father, a coroner has ruled.’
The Guardian, 15th January 2018
Source: www.theguardian.com
The use of testing for drugs and alcohol in FDAC – Family Law
‘The FDAC National Unit (NU) coordinates quarterly meetings for all FDAC substance misuse workers, to provide a forum for discussing issues arising from working in FDAC, which is a very different experience to working within adult treatment services. Issues that arise include being part of a multi-disciplinary team, working within the tight timescales of care proceedings, and the need to focus on the welfare of the child and the child’s timescales rather than solely on the parent/s. Issues relating to testing are also discussed regularly.’
Family Law, 9th January 2018
Source: www.familylaw.co.uk
Police doctor warns of more miscarriages of justice in rape cases in row over DNA testing – Daily Telegraph
‘A police doctor has warned of potential miscarriages of justice in rape cases after medical examinations were outsourced to the private security company G4S.’
Daily Telegraph, 20th December 2017
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Unreliable forensic toxicology tests – next steps – Family Law
‘Family analysis: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced that it is treating some hair strand test results as potentially unreliable. Maud Davis, partner at TV Edwards LLP looks at what this could mean for proceedings involving children where there was a reliance on hair strand testing, and suggests next steps for family practitioners advising in this area.’
Family Law, 7th December 2017
Source: www.familylaw.co.uk
‘We believe you harmed your child’: the war over shaken baby convictions – The Guardian
‘Expert witnesses who claim parents have been wrongly accused have been vilified and struck off. But the science is anything but certain. What happens to the truth when experts can’t agree?’
The Guardian, 8th December 2017
Source: www.theguardian.com
Randox forensics inquiry: Police suspend drug-test contracts – BBC News
‘Police have suspended all contracts with a drug-testing company amid allegations of data manipulation.’
BBC News, 27th November 2017
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Dodgy drug test results – what should I do? – Transparency Project
‘On 21 November the Ministry of Justice and Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal’s Service issued advice for those concerned about potentially unreliable forensic toxicology (drug) tests in some family cases. The advice also relates to criminal trials, but this post looks at the issue for people who have been involved with a family court case and who are worried that the test results may have been dodgy.’
Transparency Project, 23rd November 2017
Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk
Guidance on unreliable or manipulated forensic toxicology tests – Family Law
‘The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has released guidance for those concerned about potentially unreliable forensic toxicology tests. This follows police investigations into the potential manipulation of forensic toxicology test results at two private companies, Trimega Laboratories Limited and Randox Testing Services. The test results were used as expert evidence in England and Wales. The guidance includes examples which aim to help people understand where toxicology tests may have been used as part of decision making in court cases, and provides advice for those who believe their case may have been adversely affected by manipulated test results.’
Family Law, 24th November 2017
Source: www.familylaw.co.uk
Dubious forensic evidence? That’s what happens when we sell off public services – The Guardian
‘The recent mass review of 10,000 criminal case samples shows what can happen when commercial demands get in the way of vital public services.’
The Guardian, 27th November 2017
Source: www.theguardian.com
Regulator calls for better scrutiny of drug testing in family courts – The Guardian
‘The government’s forensic regulator has called for fresh scrutiny of drug and alcohol testing carried out for the family courts, after a scandal at a Manchester laboratory raised doubts about the quality of evidence used in thousands of child custody proceedings.’
The Guardian, 24th November 2017
Source: www.theguardian.com
Drug-driving cases dropped over forensics – BBC News
‘Around 50 drug-driving prosecutions have been dropped because original test results may have been “manipulated”.’
BBC News, 21st November 2017
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Hair Strand Testing for Cocaine – Family Law Week
‘Emily James and Kate Tompkins, barristers of 36 Family, consider a new judgment in which Sir Peter Jackson affirmed, and offered guidance on, current testing arrangements.’
Family Law Week, 12th October 2017
Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk
DNA in the dock: how flawed techniques send innocent people to prison – The Guardian
‘Many juries believe crime-scene DNA evidence is watertight – but this is far from the case. As forensic technology gets ever more sophisticated, experts are only just realising how difficult interpreting the evidence can be.’
The Guardian, 2nd October 2017
Source: www.theguardian.com
Murderers and rapists could have convictions quashed after police reveal thousands of forensics tests may have been compromised – Daily Telegraph
‘Hundreds of convicted criminals, including some murderers and rapists, could have their convictions quashed after police admitted thousands of forensic tests may have been tampered with.’
Daily Telegraph, 9th May 2017
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Official forensic regulator calls for increase to legal aid funding – The Guardian
‘Defence lawyers need additional legal aid funding to help them check and challenge the increasing complexity of digital evidence gathered for criminal prosecutions, the official forensic science regulator has warned. Dr Gillian Tully told the Forensics Europe Expo in London that time pressures to meet deadlines for complying with new digital forensics standards could result in “a bit of a car crash” if firms are not ready in time.’
The Guardian, 3rd May 2017
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Shaken Baby Syndrome – Six Pump Court
‘This note is intended to set out how medical opinion in relation to and the Court’s approach to “shaken baby syndrome” have developed.’
Six Pump Court, 22nd March 2017
Source: www.6pumpcourt.co.uk
First case dropped since forensic science blunders as CPS says it cannot proceed against drug driver following intervention from ‘Mr Loophole’ – Daily Telegraph
‘The first case linked to allegations of a forensic science blunder has been dropped after the CPS said it cannot proceed against a drug driver.’
Daily Telegraph, 22nd February 2017
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
