EVIDENCE: police and CPS to report on 50 serious cases

Around 50 convictions for murder, manslaughter or infanticide are to be reviewed because they involve the pathologist who failed to disclose crucial evidence in the case of solicitor Sally Clark, the Solicitor-General announced last week.

Harriet Harman QC said representatives of the Metropolitan Police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) would review the cases that involved Dr Alan Williams, and may also extend it to cases involving Professor Sir Roy Meadow, the paediatrician who gave evidence against Ms Clark and produced the now-infamous one in 73 million statistic as the likelihood of two cot deaths in the same family.


Ms Harman revealed that following Ms Clark's successful appeal in January, she, along with the Attorney-General, Lord Goldsmith QC, discussed the implications with the then Director of Public Prosecutions, Sir David Calvert-Smith QC.


As a result, a working group was formed, comprising the police, CPS, Home Office and other relevant agencies. This has now identified around 50 cases, which date back between five and seven years, where Dr Williams was instructed by the police to conduct the post mor-tem, which resulted in a conviction.


It is anticipated that the results of the initial review will be considered early next year.


Ms Harman added that the Home Office pathology advisory board will publish new codes of practice and procedure for pathologists, which will take account of the judicial comments on the methodology employed by Dr Williams in the Clark case.


Replying to a Parliamentary question, the Solicitor-General also revealed that the total costs incurred by the CPS in prosecuting Ms Clark were £320,000, while the prison costs, based on average costs per prisoner, were approximately £111,000. She was jailed in November 1999.