Forensic pathology and miscarriages of justice

Excerpt

The extremely disturbing miscarriage of justice reported by Pollanen in this issue of the Journal was one of a number in Ontario which led to the Goudge Inquiry [1], which reported in 2008. About 5 convictions (all in relation to baby or toddler deaths) came to be regarded as unsafe, and the character of other convictions had to be modified. The Goudge Inquiry probably represents the most thorough public evaluation of forensic pathology at any time, anywhere in the world. This is so even though the Inquiry was formally into the small sub-discipline of paediatric forensic pathology. I remain surprised at the paucity of academic comment on the Inquiry’s report and the related material it generated. …