High Court must reconsider lab's bid to review cervical smear slides

Mr Justice Noonan held Mr Justice Cross erred in agreeing with lawyers for the plaintiff that CPL must show “special and exceptional” circumstances before a “blind review” order is granted.

A laboratory’s application for orders which would allow it to carry out a “blind review” of a woman’s cervical smear slides must be reconsidered by the High Court, the Court of Appeal has ruled.

Clinical Pathology Laboratories Ltd has made similar applications in a number of other cases by women suing over alleged misreading of their cervical smear slides and the Appeal Court findings will impact on the High Court’s treatment of those applications.