Thousands of serious criminal cases in Queensland will need to be reviewed after an inquiry found the forensic lab failed to properly test DNA samples for years due to "grave maladministration involving dishonesty".
Former judge Walter Sofronoff has recommended that Forensic and Scientific Services be restructured in his report, published on Tuesday after a four-month public inquiry.
He found lab managers had focused on speed rather than accuracy in DNA testing and "that scourge has invaded" the validation of process and equipment used, time management and resources.
"I have found that serious problems have existed within the laboratory for many years, some of them amounting to grave maladministration involving dishonesty," Mr Sofronoff's report says.
The former Court of Appeal president had no doubt the lab's failures to obtain all the available DNA evidence from crime scene samples had affected criminal cases and court trials.
"In most cases that will have reduced the prospects of conviction by a failure to obtain evidence which could support a complaint," the report says.
"It is possible, but unlikely that the failures could have resulted in a wrong conviction."
Mr Sofronoff said "thousands of cases" needed to be reviewed to see if crime scene samples need to be retested for DNA.
He recommends a panel with a scientist, a police officer, a prosecutor and maybe a private lawyer do so.
"So for victims of crime, who may have been told that there's not enough DNA or that the DNA didn't come up to proof, there'll be decisions made about testing some of those samples in some of those cases," Mr Sofronoff told reporters on Tuesday.
The report largely blames the failures on FSS manager Cathie Allen, who has been in her role since 2008 without adequate oversight.
Over time she distorted the aims of the lab and placed obstacles in the way of scientists trying to do their work, it says.
Ms Allen tried to cover up mounting problems with superiors, lab staff and police using a "deliberately crafted series of lies and misleading dodges, the report says.
"It is apparent from the number and breadth of scientific issues identified as below best practice or inadequate in this report, and the extent of retrospective review that is required to prevent miscarriages of justice, that Ms Allen has not been able to fulfil the responsibilities of her role," the report says.
"This state of affairs has been caused by both the structure of her role within FSS and her personal performance of it.
"As a result, the department leadership was not equipped to grapple with the real problem: a malignancy in the scientific management of FSS."
Mr Sofronoff also recommends the lab be restructured with an independent head scientist in charge with a focus on scientific integrity and serving the criminal justice system.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk ordered the inquiry after potential problems at the lab were brought to light in The Australian's podcast series about the killing of Shandee Blackburn nine years ago.
The 23-year-old was stabbed more than 20 times on her way home from work in Mackay with her former boyfriend John Perros charged with her murder but acquitted in 2017.
