MSPs call for McKie case inquiry
13 Feb 06
Justice Committee convener joins calls for investigation into fingerprint service
A Labour MSP has backed calls for an inquiry into the Scottish fingerprint service following claims of a cover-up in the Shirley McKie case.
The convener of Holyrood's Justice 1 Committee, Pauline McNeill, said an inquiry would help restore public confidence in the service. The Conservative and SNP parties have also called for further investigations to be carried out.
Ms McKie was awarded £750,000 in an out-of-court settlement against the Scottish Executive on behalf of the Scottish Criminal Records Office last week. The Executive said fingerprint experts had made an honest mistake in identifying a print found in the house of a murder victim as that of the then policewoman, but did not admit liability in her action based on her wrongful arrest and prosecution for perjury.
According to the latest newspaper reports, the Crown Office was told five years ago that the original mistake had been covered up, as the fingerprint service had refused to accept it was wrong. This might have been because the service feared admitted the mistake would damage the murder prosecution.
Jim McKay, the deputy chief constable of Tayside Police, was asked to look into the SCRO and his October 2000 report, which has never been published, stated that it had been patently obvious that a mistake had been made.
The report further stated that there had been opportunites for that mistake to be acknowledged. The fact that it had not been led to "cover-up and criminality".
However, no action has been taken against the SCRO since that time.
Ms McNeill steps should be taken to reassure the public that Scotland had a fingerprint service people could have confidence in.