Cot death expert faces review

The Attorney-General is likely to review a series of cases involving discredited cot-death expert Sir Roy Meadow, it emerged today.

The move came the day after Angela Cannings had her conviction for killing two of her babies overturned and was set free after 19 months in jail.

Mrs Cannings had been found guilty after a jury heard evidence from Sir Roy as the key prosecution witness.

It was the second high-profile case involving the deaths of babies in which he provided crucial evidence, only to see convictions overturned.

Today Commons leader Peter Hain confirmed that a special panel reviewing up to 50 cases involving convictions for murder, manslaughter or infanticide has been set up by Attorney-General Lord Goldsmith. These at present concern cases which involved postmortem examinations by pathologist Dr Alan Williams.

A spokeswoman for Lord Goldsmith today said the panel was "actively considering" widening its inquiry to include cases involving Sir Roy, 70.

She added that it would study the "full judgment" handed down in yesterday's Angela Cannings case before making its final decision.

It appeared highly likely that Sir Roy's cases would be reviewed after Mr Hain told MPs there was "widespread concern" within the Government about the "appalling" case of Mrs Cannings. He said: "We want to make sure that justice is done and that it is done properly." He said ministers wanted to make sure "there are no other cases like it and that nothing happens in the future".

Mr Hain was answering a question from his Tory opposite number, Oliver Heald, who said Mrs Cannings had suffered a "dreadful ordeal". Mr Heald called for a "proper scientific review" of cot-death cases to be urgently undertaken by the Department of Health.

Sir Roy's controversial mantra is "one sudden infant death is a tragedy, two is suspicious and three is murder unless proved otherwise".

But following the Cannings case and that of solicitor Sally Clark, who also had her conviction overturned, he has found himself the target of campaigners who believe women have been unjustly prosecuted. He has been giving evidence in court for more than 20 years, commanding fees as an expert witness of between £3,000 and £5,000.

Sir Roy first identified Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy where parents, usually mothers, are deemed to have harmed their children to draw attention to themselves. A former president of the British Paediatric Association, he was knighted five years ago for services to child health.

Yesterday, Lord Justice Judge sitting with Mrs Justice Rafferty and Mr Justice Pitchers ruled in the Cannings case: "These convictions are unsafe and accordingly they will be quashed."