THIS magazine recently published an interview with Simon Cole, a historian of
science who claims that fingerprint experts match prints to the wrong person as
much as 20 per cent of the time
(16 June, p 42). It also published an editorial
on the issue
(p 3).
I asked John Denham, the new Home Office minister, for his
views on this matter.
Denham says the system the police use for matching fingerprints is tried and
tested and has proved reliable. Furthermore, fingerprint experts can now
register with the Registration Council for Forensic Practitioners, which will
regularly review and…
