Your drug or drink driving conviction may be unsafe
New details have emerged about forensic testing deficiencies at two of the country’s leading laboratories. Police are currently investigating the circumstances. A number of people have been arrested.
Randox Testing Services (RTS) and Trimega Laboratories handle samples for some of the most high-profile criminal and family law cases. The accuracy of the tests is of paramount importance to people facing criminal prosecution. Offences involved can range from drink driving and drug driving to murder.
In Parliament
Home Office Minister Nick Hurd told parliament: ‘Most drug tests from RTS between 2013 and 2017 are being treated as potentially unreliable. RTS was mainly commissioned by individual police forces when investigating criminal offences.’
It is believed that the results from as many as 10,000 tests could be under question.
Is Your Conviction Safe?
Your conviction may rest wholly or partially on the reliability of forensic tests, Therefore it is essential that you seek further legal advice. The Crown Prosecution Service will be carrying out a review into criminal cases. Unsurprisingly this will take a considerable period of time. Accordingly many people question whether the the CPS is the right organisation to decide the safety of a conviction. After all they brought the case in the first place.
What next?
People who have been convicted will wish to consider whether any further forensic testing ought to take place. They will also wish to consider if there are grounds to appeal. All convictions will need to be considered on a case by case basis. In most cases there should be sample available for retesting. If not then that may be a ground of appeal in itself.
Even if your cases did not involve the two laboratories currently under investigation, this scandal throws a spotlight on the hidden world of forensic testing. It calls in to doubt results from other forensic testing providers.
How We Can Assist?
Regardless of whether we handled your case initially our experienced team of lawyers can help. They have the expertise to ensure the safety of your conviction is beyond question. If it is not they will advise you how to proceed and challenge the forensic test. You may have pleaded guilty on the basis of inaccurate forensic evidence. Equally, you may have been convicted when you should not have been. If you believe that inaccurate forensic testing may have been used in your case, please contact Keith Hollywood on 020 8986 8336 or use the contact form below.