DNA doubts over Falconio verdict
The validity of the forensic evidence technique has been called into doubt after the Omagh verdict
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Sunday, 23, Dec 2007 12:29
An Australian civil liberties union has called for a review of the evidence used to convict a man for the killing of British tourist Peter Falconio.
The demand comes after a judge in the Omagh bombing case raised doubts over the validity of low copy number DNA testing.
Bradley Murdoch was sentenced to life in prison over the murder of Mr Falconio due to evidence gathered using the same technique.
Traces of DNA detected using low copy number testing were found on ties apparently used in the attack against the British backpacker and his girlfriend. Mr Falconio's body is yet to be found.
The Australian Council for Civil Liberties said the verdict in the British traveller's case must be reconsidered if data gathered by the method was not strong enough to convict Sean Hoey over the Omagh bombings, which killed 29 people in 1998.
A spokesman for the organisation told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the court's decision should be reassessed if there were concerns about the decision.
He added the misuse of forensic evidence had been the "principle cause of miscarriage of justice in criminal cases" and stressed that DNA evidence must be "highly reliable" for it to be presented as evidence.
Mr Murdoch was convicted of murdering Mr Falconio and abducting his girlfriend Joanne Lees in the Australian desert in 2001.