Forensic science is “in a graveyard spiral” leading to miscarriages of justice
A failing forensic science system has caused major miscarriages of justice, a three-year Parliamentary inquiry has found.
The investigation into forensics, launched by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Miscarriages of Justice, has concluded that the sector in England and Wales is in a ‘graveyard spiral’ leading to poor police investigations, increasing unsolved crimes, and more wrongful convictions.
The Westminster Commission on Forensic Science, chaired by Professor Angela Gallop and Professor Lady Sue Black, published its report on 9 June highlighting what it calls a crisis in forensics which is at the heart of so many miscarriages of justice.
Professor Gallop said: “Forensic science in England and Wales as currently configured isn’t working for anyone – not for the police, not for the lawyers or for the courts, not for the scientists themselves, and not for the general public who get caught up in the criminal justice system. Like a plane hurtling downwards in what has become known as a ‘graveyard spiral’, it can only be a short time now before it impacts the ground.”
The report highlights the “devastating impact of reckless policy decisions compounded by cuts in this area that have led to this stark trajectory”. The Westminster Commission argues that attempts to correct course over the last decade, such as bringing more science under the control of the police, have only served to tighten the spiral.
Kim Johnson MP, chair of the APPG on Miscarriages of Justice, welcomed the report, saying: “There have been several shocking reminders of the urgent need to address this issue – from the Post Office Horizon scandal to the exonerations of Andrew Malkinson and Peter Sullivan, both of whom spent years wrongly imprisoned. These cases are not isolated incidents but symptoms of deep, systemic failings in our criminal justice system. We owe it to victims, their families, and the wider public to demand transparency, accountability, and meaningful reform. We must see the government act on this report without delay, to restore trust and prevent future injustices.”
The Westminster Commission makes 34 urgent recommendations, including wanting legal aid to be more readily available for defence experts; the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) to have permanent staff members from scientific backgrounds; and the creation of a national storage capacity for evidence independent of the police. The report calls for a culture change at the CCRC, replacing the “complacency in respect of a lack of scientific knowledge and understanding” among its staff.
Lady Sue Black added: “To get out of this graveyard spiral at an 11th hour will require unflinching leadership, serious investment, and commitment. Science must remain impartial.”
The APPG was set up by then-MPs Barry Sheerman and Sir Bob Neill in 2017 to examine structural problems within the justice system which result in miscarriages of justice. Kim Johnson MP is the present chair. The Future Justice Project provide the secretariat. Commissioners were Professor Angela Gallop CBE; Professor Lady Sue, Baroness Black of Strome, Dr Philip Avenell, Katy Thorne KC, Professor Carole McCartney, Glyn Maddocks, and Dr Jon Robins.
Interesting, if may humbly say so. Before the Berlin Wall came down and when ‘West Germany’ still existed, I was a Police Surgeon for forensics in the British Army of the Rhine. Then our Goverment decided we didn’t need specialist Police Surgeons any more. I am willing to believe that ‘things forensic’, have been in decline ever since!