The Canadian criminal justice system should move away from the idea that DNA evidence stands on its own to prove guilt, according to former Supreme Court justice Ian Binnie.
“DNA has taken on this magic and there are so many wrongful convictions that have not only been exposed by DNA but which have been inflicted by DNA,” said Binnie during a discussion panel on the evidence revolution in Canada last week at the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice’s annual conference held in Toronto.
The reliance on genetic proof ignores many possibilities that would make a piece of evidence questionable, said Binnie, who gave the example of a mix-up of samples at a laboratory.
Canada should follow Australia’s lead by introducing a provision that says DNA proof is conclusive only in the presence of other corroborative evidence pointing to the same truth, according to Binnie….