‘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
‘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
‘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 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
‘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
‘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
‘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
‘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
‘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
‘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
‘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
‘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
‘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
‘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
‘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
‘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
‘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
‘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
‘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
‘Experts and their evidence are under hostile scrutiny amid fears over a decline in standards, reports Grania Langdon-Down.’
Law Society’s Gazette, 20th February 2017
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
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