FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 2000-05-23

Diminishing the Shadow of Doubt: First Lab Accredited for Forensics Testing Standardization

OTTAWA - Paternity testing has been used in civil custody cases for years, but it has only been a little more than a decade since the results from genetic tests were first used in courtrooms in North America in criminal cases.

Genetic testing is being used more and more within Canada's criminal justice system to determine the guilt or innocence of accused persons. In particular, police departments are often able to use DNA tests to re-open and solve previously unsolved cases. With guilt or innocence at stake, courts need to know that the results of those tests are reliable.

The Standards Council of Canada and the Canadian Society of Forensic Science (CSFS) have developed a program specialty area for the accreditation of forensic laboratories within Canada. The program is offered by the Standards Council of Canada's Program for the Accreditation of Laboratories-Canada (PALCAN). Accreditation provides national and international recognition of a lab's competence, enhancing its marketability and increasing consumer confidence in its abilities.

Maxxam Analytics Inc. (Human DNA Department) is the first laboratory to be accredited to PALCAN's forensic program. Based in Guelph, Ontario, Maxxam has been accredited to test within the scope of forensic biology (serology and DNA). This includes human body fluid identification, determining the origin of unknown substances and human DNA testing services.

"Professionals and members of the public who require forensic and paternity testing are becoming more informed and, as a result, they are beginning to see the value of this accreditation. Establishing quality as our first priority has paid off substantially for Maxxam and its clients", said Robert Wiebe, Maxxam's business development manager. "Since DNA testing is not regulated in Canada, accreditation is the only way for a laboratory to prove that quality is its prime consideration. As the first accredited private DNA testing laboratory in Canada, Maxxam is proud to have set a new standard for this industry", added Dr. Wayne Murray, manager of the Human DNA department.

The Standards Council of Canada is the federal Crown corporation that oversees the National Standards System. Its Program for Accreditation of Laboratories - Canada (PALCAN) has accredited over 240 laboratories in a variety of general testing and specialty areas.

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