Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced a Commission of Inquiry into DNA testing at Queensland’s Forensic and Scientific Services.
A report from The Australian in the beginning of the month claimed almost 600 crime scene samples were not tested by the lab in 2021 due to being judged to have “insufficient DNA for further processing.” Police asked for 47 of these samples to be tested anyway, and 31 returned usable DNA profiles.
According to Palaszczuk, the police have echoed these concerns, prompting the need for the inquiry.
“The people of this state must have confidence in the reliability of these results,” said Palaszczuk. “Concerns have been raised and this had led to the establishment of the independent review. But the additional information put forward by Queensland police elevate the seriousness of those concerns, prompting the need for the Commission of Inquiry.”
The inquiry, headed by former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Walter Sofronoff, will report by Dec. 13, 2022.
An interim report will be at the discretion of the Commissioner.
The Commission will examine:
- whether the methods, systems and processes used by the Queensland Police Service, and the Forensic and Scientific Services for forensic DNA collection, testing and analysis are, and have been, reliable, conducted in accordance with best international practice, and result in, and have resulted in, accurate reporting of the presence of DNA in samples submitted for testing and accurate matching of DNA samples; and
- whether, if such methods, systems or processes are not, or have not been, reliable, or conducted in accordance with best international practice, or do not result, or have not resulted, in accurate reporting or accurate matching, the reasons for any such failure
Palaszczuk said what cases the Commission examines is up to the Commissioner. He will examine the number of cases and date range necessary to satisfy the terms of reference. The Commission will receive submissions and hold public and private hearings in a manner the Commissioner sees fit.
Palaszczuk paid tribute to the family of 23-year-old Shandee Blackburn who was brutally murdered in 2013. Recently, the podcast “Shandee’s Story” examined the alleged mishandling of DNA evidence in that case.
“Nothing short of a full, open and rigorous Commission of Inquiry can restore confidence in DNA testing in this state,” Palaszczuk said. “Justice Walter Sofronoff is a retired judge and well-respected member of our legal system. He will leave no stone unturned.”
Republished courtesy of Queensland.