Juror Claims Karen Henderson is innocent - response

5.24.00pm GMT Mon 17th Dec 2007

John Hemming MP, Chairman of Justice for Families, has responded to a juror's claims that Karen Henderson is innocent with a call for the government and the judiciary to review the use of medical expert evidence.

"It was revealed today," he said, "that there is a juror from Karen's trial who believes that she is innocent. Her case has been taken up by the Angela Cannings Foundation who believe that a miscarriage of justice has occurred."

"This makes it clear that the way in which our courts use expert evidence and particularly medical expert evidence has insufficient intellectual rigour. Evidence which is clearly unreliable and based upon pet theories without proper research groundings is accepted as fact in court."

"Very often doctors make incorrect diagnoses. That comes with the territory. However, when we are asking medical expert witnesses to diagnose innocence or guilt we need more certainty than is the case for most medical treatment. The effects of a false diagnosis of guilt in court generally cause far more damage than a false diagnosis for ordinary treatment."

"I have written to the Lord Chief Justice about this and also been in touch with Lady Scotland. The current situation results in court decisions being based upon shifting sands and innocent people end up in a quagmire as a result.