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Five years on

24 January 2008 / Peter Gooderham
Issue: 7305 / Categories: Features , Public , Child law , Constitutional law
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Have any lessons been learned from Sally Clark's case? asks Peter Gooderham

It is approximately five years since Sally Clark’s second appeal was successful and she was freed from prison having served three years for the murder of two of her sons, before the conviction was overturned (see R v Clark [2003] EWCA Crim 1020, [2003] All ER (D) 223 (Apr)). The case has acquired widespread notoriety, chiefly because of issues relating to statistical and pathological evidence. Some important changes relating to expert evidence have taken place as a result of this case.

 

LEARNING FROM

A key feature of was criticism of some of the medical expert witnesses involved. Some have had their reputations ruined, and careers damaged. It remains a matter of debate whether, and to what extent, this is justified.

 

Professor Sir Roy Meadow, a paediatrician, was found guilty of serious professional misconduct (SPM) by the General Medical Council (GMC), and struck off. He had quoted misleading statistics from a government publication, Confidential Enquiry

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

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Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
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