Inquiry chief to oversee integrity of Queensland forensic lab

The former judge who led a public inquiry into Queensland’s DNA testing disaster has been appointed to head the state’s new forensics oversight board.

Inquiry commissioner Walter Sofronoff. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Tertius Pickard

The former judge who led a public inquiry into Queensland’s DNA testing disaster has been appointed to head the state’s new forensics oversight board.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s cabinet on Monday ­appointed Walter Sofronoff KC and retired judge Julie Dick SC to co-chair a new board responsible for ensuring scientific integrity in the DNA laboratory.

Mr Sofronoff ran a six-month inquiry into forensic failings at the lab last year and uncovered a ­series of management decisions that had compromised thousands of criminal cases.

A disastrous testing threshold introduced by the lab in 2018 ­resulted in useful crime-scene samples being shelved for years.

The inquiry heard that the new threshold was introduced, in part, to save the health department’s lab time and money.

In his final report, handed down last month, Mr Sofronoff recommended an independent oversight board be established to report to government on the lab’s performance.

“If a forensic science advisory board had existed, it would have precluded the adoption of speed of results as a criterion that ­deformed the integrity of the laboratory,” Mr Sofronoff wrote in his report.

“Indeed, it is difficult to see how many of the mistakes dealt with in this report could have lain undetected for long if there had been such oversight.”

The board will be able to lobby the government for more funding if it is “of the view that the administration of justice is being prejudiced by funding constraints”.

It will report to both Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman and Health Minister Yvette D’Ath.

Ms D’Ath said Ms Sofronoff had an intimate understanding of the steps needed to restore integrity and transparency to Queensland’s forensic services.

“Work has already begun on long-term reforms and the ­appointment of Mr Sofronoff KC and Ms Dick SC to the interim ­advisory board will be critical to the delivery of forensic scientific services in Queensland,” she said.

“The interim advisory board will provide strong accountability, transparency, and governance oversight to support the establishment and operations of Forensic Science Queensland.”

In his report, Mr Sofronoff recommended the board be chaired by a retired District Court judge, as this was the court where most cases with DNA evidence was heard.

Ms Dick, who retired from the District Court last June, has more than 50 years of legal experience.

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

More appointments to the board, including scientists and victim advocacy representatives, are expected in the next month.

The appointments come as Queensland Health launched consultation on a new internal complaints process for its 125,000-strong workforce.

Ms D’Ath has acknowledged her department’s complaints system was broken, with a new ­“escalation” process expected within weeks.

At least seven scientists at the health department’s forensics lab raised concerns about disturbing testing practices but all their ­approaches were dismissed by ­superiors.

“(Staff) should never be scared to raise complaints or concerns with their superiors; that is not ­acceptable and that is why we must get this reform process right,” Ms D’Ath said.

“We need to make sure anyone with concerns around culture, workplace issues and patient care feel safe to speak up, and for managers to have the tools to investigate the claims.”

Consultation on the new complaints system close on March 2.