Scotland’s Justice Secretary is to meet two leading Dundee academics branded “quacks” by judges.
First Minister Alex Salmond said Kenny MacAskill would be “delighted” to meet Professor Sue Black and Dr Craig Cunningham, who received an apology from the courts, as reported in Thursday’s Courier.
He also said the pair were held in “highest regard.”
They were attacked by judges after Kimberley Hainey, 38, from Paisley, had her conviction for the murder of her toddler son Declan overturned because evidence in her case was deemed to be flawed.
Court of Appeal judges issued a statement advising trial judges not to allow “quack” doctors to give expert evidence on matters about which they have no qualifications, widely assumed to refer to Professor Black and Dr Cunningham.
The court later issued a clarification, apologising to the two expert witnesses in the case for failing to make clear that the comment did not refer directly to them.
However, Professor Black reportedly said the comments “took science and the law back 100 years”.
Ms Black, professor of anatomy and forensic anthropology at Dundee University, contacted city Labour MSP Jenny Marra with concerns about the comments in the ruling.
At First Minister’s Questions, Ms Marra said: “(The) apology was welcome but it would be good if we could make some advances to a better understanding between science and the law as a result of this appeal.”
Ms Marra called for a meeting with Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill to allow Prof Black and her colleagues from the scientific community to discuss how the legal system may be better served through improved scientific understanding.
Mr Salmond said: “The reputation of expert witnesses is very important indeed and I know that Professor Sue Black and Dr Craig Cunningham are held in the highest regard.
“Professor Black has an international reputation based on her work in Kosovo and elsewhere.”
He added: “In terms of meetings, I’m sure the Cabinet Secretary (for Justice) would be delighted to meet the expert witnesses.”
Meanwhile, Mr Salmond came in for a pounding during First Minister’s Questions over his stance on what currency an independent Scotland would use in the event of a Yes vote next September.
Labour leader Johann Lamont hit out at the Nationalists’ plan to keep the pound if Scotland becomes independent and enter into a currency union with the remainder of the UK.