THE BLOOD AND THE FATHER

Evening Star, Issue 22577, 19 February 1937, Page 2

THE BLOOD AND THE FATHER

“It would seem desirable that the fullest encouragement should be given to the use of blood group tests m cases of disputed paternity. . “ If necessary, consideration snoula be given to the question of providing statutory powers to enable the tests to be made in every case tne question of paternity is at issue. These are the conclusions or _ JJr Roche Lynch, senior official to the Home Office, and Dr David Harley, inoculation department, St. Marys Hospital, Paddington, the results of whose investigation of the subject are given in the ‘ British Medical Journal, says the ‘ Morning Post.’ Although accurate figures are not available, it is stated, the number of times the tests have been employed must be tens of thousands, for they are in use in many countries, but in this country, except for one or two isolated occassions, no use has been made of them. ' ... The reasons for the existing position in Britain are given by the investigators in the following order: — 1 Most litigants, and even lawyers, are unaware of the test and its possibihties. cerfcain distrus t of scientific method among the lay magistrates, a conservatism which is to a large extent part of the national character. This attitude is an admirable one to adopt when dealing with any new test that has not been established beyond all reasonable doubt, but the blood group test has gone far beyond the experimental stage, and its reliability is fully established. , 3 Owing to a misunderstanding which appears to exist in some legal minds, it is suggested that a failure of the test to make a decision of nonpaternity available, may create an impression in the minds of those who have to make the final decision that the accused man is, in fact, the father. When the ■ rationale of the test is better understood, such an argument will be found to be without foundation. 4 The use of the test in these cases must always be demanded by the alleged father, as it is he who sets out to prove his innocence, and it is he only who can benefit by it. Even if the accused man knew of the tests and desired to submit to them, the court would have no power to compel the woman applying for the affiliation order to submit to the examination and might not be justified in drawing any inference from her refusal. . , 5. At present the test is somewhat costly, and beyond the pockets of the poorer class of defendants, but this would soon be remedied if sufficient cases were forthcoming.