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McKie public inquiry due to start Evidence begins at McKie inquiry
(1 day later)
The public inquiry into the Shirley McKie fingerprint case is due to get under way. The public inquiry into the Shirley McKie fingerprint case has heard that the lack of a court ruling on the disputed prints has dogged the case.
Ms McKie was a police officer accused of leaving her fingerprints at a murder scene in Kilmarnock, and of interfering with the police investigation. The claim was made by senior counsel to the inquiry, Gerry Moynihan QC, on its opening day.
She insisted the prints were not hers, and was finally acquitted of lying under oath after a trial. Former police officer Ms McKie was cleared of perjury after she was accused of leaving her fingerprints at a murder scene.
The case is already one of Scotland's longest running and most expensive legal controversies. She was later awarded £750,000 in compensation following the trial.
She had always denied entering the property in Kilmarnock where a woman was murdered in 1997, but four fingerprint experts maintained that the print found at the murder scene belonged to her. In his opening speech, Mr Moynihan, set out the history of the case and told how it had involved several investigations and inquiries.
Ms McKie was awarded £750,000 in compensation following the trial. "The greatest weakness of these past investigations is they did not result in a judicial determination," he said.
After claims of official blunders and cover ups at the fingerprint service, the long-awaited public inquiry will begin in Glasgow on Tuesday morning. Mr Moynihan said the controversy over the fingerprints had divided experts.
It will be chaired by former Northern Ireland judge Sir Anthony Campbell, who will be tasked with looking at how similar problems can be prevented in future. He continued: "This is the opportunity to have an independent judicial inquiry to investigate fully and publicly the controversy surrounding these fingerprints, and to reach conclusions in relation to the fingerprint examinations that were carried out to learn lessons for the future and ensure the public can have confidence in the reliance placed on fingerprint evidence in trials in Scotland."
The McKie inquiry is being chaired by former Northern Ireland judge Sir Anthony Campbell.