Science, Media and the Law: Lessons from the Kathleen Folbigg Case (In Summary)

While ultimately successful, the voice of scientific expertise was difficult to establish in the emotionally-charged circumstances of the Kathleen Folbigg case; reopening the inquiry with fresh scientific perspectives relied on the discretion of the Attorney General of New South Wales.
Public opinion is overwhelmingly shaped by the Australian media, and sustaining the attention of the political and legal system required a sustained campaign by a team of friends, philanthropists, scientists and legal professionals championing the cause.
The key members of “Team Folbigg” here relate the barriers they experienced to having complex genetic science considered as robust legal evidence in an Australian judicial system, and present the case for change.
Speakers:
Dr Peter Yates AM FTSE FAICD
Director of Linfox Australia and Mutual Trust P/L
Chair of AIA Australia, The Australian Science Media Centre, The Royal Children's Hospital Foundation, The Shared Value Project, The NHMRC Centre for Personalised Immunology and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology
Ms Anna-Maria Arabia
CEO at the Australian Academy of Science
Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy
Panellists:
Ms Tracy Chapman
Lifelong friend and advocate of Kathleen Folbigg
Professor David Balding FAA
Statistical Geneticist, The University of Melbourne
MC:
Ms Tegan Taylor
Science Journalist, The Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Presented by the Royal Society of Victoria in partnership with the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering ( @ATSEOrgAu ) and the Australian Academy of Science ( @ScienceAcademyAu ) for National Science Week in 2024, filmed with the support of the Inspiring Victoria program.
The full presentation is also available at • Science, Media and the... .

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