Palaszczuk government appoints co-chairs to fix DNA debacle

The Palaszczuk government has enlisted top legal figures to overhaul Queensland’s crisis-plagued DNA laboratory after a commission of inquiry exposed catastrophic failings.

The Palaszczuk government has enlisted top legal figures to overhaul Queensland’s crisis-plagued DNA laboratory after a commission of inquiry exposed catastrophic failings and disturbing management practices.

Former Court of Appeals president Walter Sofronoff KC, who served as commissioner in charge of the inquiry, and recently retired judge Julie Dick SC were appointed co-chairs to the advisory board to oversee a major restructure to the testing of forensic evidence.

The pair will lead an independent advisory board tasked with transforming the handling of DNA evidence at the Forensic Science Queensland, with the co-chairs reporting to Health Minister Yvette D’Ath and Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman.

The commission of inquiry last year exposed failings, disturbing management practices and a toxic work culture at the lab, with Mr Sofronoff delivering more than 100 recommendations to the state government.

Former Court of Appeals president Walter Sofronoff KC. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

In the lead up to the inquiry, the Queensland Police Service feared thousands of murder, rape and sexual assault cases could have been compromised due to an arbitrary threshold for testing DNA in Queensland, where the lab ignored forensic samples capable of producing a full or partial profile.

In the final report handed down in December, Mr Sofronoff blasted former lab boss Cathie Allen who was accused of lying to police, executives and staff.

“I have found that serious problems have existed within the laboratory for many years, some of them amounting to grave maladministration involving dishonesty,” he wrote.

Ms Fentiman said Mr Sofronoff’s intimate knowledge of the highly complex subject matter meant he was perfectly positioned to repair the critical function of the lab.

Recently retired judge Julie Dick SC. Picture: Zak Simmonds

She said the co-chairs were “two of Queensland’s most highly respected legal minds”, who were “best placed deliver reforms”.

“The interim board will report jointly to the Health Minister and myself and, along with several subcommittees tasked with advising discrete areas of forensic services, will provide expert oversight to Forensic Science Queensland,” Ms Fentiman said.

Ms D’Ath said work had already begun to adopt the inquiry’s short and long-term reforms.

“Ms Dick SC has more than 50 years of service in law, including more than 20 years as a District Court judge, a former Childrens Court of Queensland President and Acting Supreme Court judge,” she said.

“During her career, Ms Dick SC appeared in nearly 50 murder trials and many other high-profile criminal matters.

“I have every confidence that Mr Sofronoff KC and Ms Dick SC are the right people to help restore confidence in forensic DNA services in Queensland and ensure they operate to the highest standard.”