Nurse murdered seven babies

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CXRAndy

Active Member
That's certainly going to put the cat amongst the pigeons
 

C R

Veteran
The big question to me is why her defence didn't dig deeper into the expert testimony. I understand that expert witnesses are understood to be neutral, but I don't imagine that precludes posing alternative explanations to them.
 

icowden

Squire
The big question to me is why her defence didn't dig deeper into the expert testimony. I understand that expert witnesses are understood to be neutral, but I don't imagine that precludes posing alternative explanations to them.

One of the proposals I have seen come out of this is to move to the (?french?) model where instead of having expert witnesses for the defence and prosecution, you just have an independent panel of expert witnesses. At the same time you ensure that these experts are actually proper experts with recent expert practices. Not doctor's who have been retired for 15 years and are no longer up to date with current practice and research.
 

wafter

New Member
Watched the summary of the most recent press conference earlier; result appears absolutely damning and suggests that the case for conviction on any of the counts is unsound:



Seems like potentially an enormous miscarriage of justice, likely courtesy of an establishment happy to condemn an innocent nurse to a lifetime in prison and complete vilification in the public eye to cover up its own systemic shortcomings.

Utterly shocking if sadly not really surprising :sad:
 

Psamathe

Active Member
An article I found interesting regarding the statistical evidence used in the procecution, from The Conversation which I generally I regard as a reliable source.
Experts have challenged the medical case against Lucy Letby. What about the statistical evidence?
...
Consequently, the prosecution used statistics alongside the medical evidence the expert panel has now cast doubt upon. So how solid is that statistical evidence? ...
(from https://theconversation.com/experts...by-what-about-the-statistical-evidence-249221)
It's a fairly detailed article so selective quotes would not give a sensible representation of what is being discussed.

Ian
 

icowden

Squire
It's a fairly detailed article so selective quotes would not give a sensible representation of what is being discussed.
Although the selective answer is "not very". One of the cases that MD pointed out is a baby who died from the same "insulin poisoning" findings that were used to convict Letby but the evidence of which was not mentioned at trial as Letby was not involved in that baby's care or on duty when that baby died. So you have another baby who was found to have the same post-mortem findings but whom Letby could not have killed. This of course would have cast doubt on the expert evidence.

The most puzzling part of the whole affair is the decision by the defence not to bring any of their own expert evidence.
 

Psamathe

Active Member
Whilst I don't appreciate most of the details of this case and I'm no legal expert
The most puzzling part of the whole affair is the decision by the defence not to bring any of their own expert evidence.
I'd guess it's a complex case with a lot of specialist technical amnd medical details. If Ms Letby was reliant of Legal Aid are there constraints on what this scheme will pay for eg do you get whatever legal team the system appoints to you or can you chose? what sort of budgets to they have for expert analysis and expert witnesses?

Particularly as it's often reported our Legal Aid system is in crisis.

It's just an aspect I wondered about and I'm not suggesting this was or was not the case.

Ian
 

icowden

Squire
If Ms Letby was reliant of Legal Aid are there constraints on what this scheme will pay for eg do you get whatever legal team the system appoints to you or can you chose? what sort of budgets to they have for expert analysis and expert witnesses?
She did get Legal Aid, but yes you are correct that you are limited to those Barristers and Solicitors who are willing to work for legal aid rates. These are usually more junior and less experienced.
 

BoldonLad

Old man on a bike. Not a member of a clique.
Location
South Tyneside
Whilst I don't appreciate most of the details of this case and I'm no legal expert

I'd guess it's a complex case with a lot of specialist technical amnd medical details. If Ms Letby was reliant of Legal Aid are there constraints on what this scheme will pay for eg do you get whatever legal team the system appoints to you or can you chose? what sort of budgets to they have for expert analysis and expert witnesses?

Particularly as it's often reported our Legal Aid system is in crisis.

It's just an aspect I wondered about and I'm not suggesting this was or was not the case.

Ian

Quite. I suspect it is not quite like a TV program, where dedicated and selfless legal experts pursue the truth, free of charge, and, sacrificing their own time and well being for the accused.
 
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