On the 18th, July 2012 the South Australian Legislative Review Committee on the CCRC Bill reported that it would not be recommending that a CCRC-style body be established in South Australia.
It did, however, make seven reform recommendations. Recommendation 3 was for a new statutory right for certain qualifying offences to provide that a person may be allowed at any time to appeal against a conviction for serious offences if the court is satisfied that:
· the conviction is tainted;
· where there is fresh and compelling evidence in relation to the offence which may cast reasonable doubt on the guilt of the convicted person.
Also of particular significance, Recommendation 5 was that the Attorney-General considers establishing a Forensic Science Review Panel to enable the testing or re-testing of forensic evidence which may cast reasonable doubt on the guilt of a convicted person, and for these results to be referred to the Court of Criminal Appeal.
The Full Report is here.
