Abstract

The Royal Statistical Society Statistics and the Law section (and previously working group) has worked for a long time on initiatives aiming to improve communication between statisticians and those working in the justice system. In this talk I will discuss some of these previous initiatives, ranging from a set of guides for practitioners on communicating and interpreting statistical evidence to a report on the specific statistical issues relating to medical misconduct cases. The controversy aroused by the Lucy Letby case in the UK has led to renewed calls for collaboration between statisticians and the legal system. In response, the section has developed a series of plans with various organisations to address what we see as the gaps in the system. These plans include training courses, revised guidance, improving access to expert statisticians, changes to policy and encouraging young statisticians to get involved. I will present these plans along with the motivation behind them and hoped outcomes and discuss some of the measures that I think are needed for long term change.