Miscarriages of justice more likely due to forensic science crisis, report finds

Inquiry warns of rising risk in England and Wales of biased investigations, wrongful convictions and cases collapsing due to missing evidence

The forensic science sector is in a graveyard spiral", according to a parliamentary inquiry that has warned of biased criminal investigations, a rising risk of wrongful convictions, and murder and sexual offence cases collapsing due to missing evidence.

The three-year inquiry set up by the all-party parliamentary group on miscarriages of justice has outlined how a series of reckless policy decisions" over the past decade have brought forensic science to a point of crisis. A near-monopoly in the commercial sector means there is now a dangerous single point of failure and the increasing reliance on in-house police laboratories risks compromising scientific impartiality, the inquiry found.