Queensland's Director of Public Prosecutions has lodged a Court of Appeal application, claiming new DNA evidence had been uncovered after forensic retesting.
Tens of thousands of samples have had to be revisited after scandal engulfed Queensland's forensic system, raising doubts about past convictions and whether some offenders were left on the streets.
Back-to-back inquiries exposed massive DNA backlogs, botched testing thresholds and fears crucial evidence was missed or delayed in serious crime cases.
The Director of Public Prosecutions lodged the application with the Court of Appeal on Thursday, his office confirmed.
It was seeking to overturn the acquittal of a man previously tried for rape in Townsville District Court, a spokesperson said.
"The application follows the re-testing of forensic samples, which identified new DNA evidence that was not available during the original trial."
It is set to test Queensland's double jeopardy laws for the first time since they were expanded in 2024.
They allowed people to be retried for another 10 offences such as manslaughter and rape.
The double jeopardy defence in Queensland previously prevented a person being tried or punished twice for the same offence unless the charge was murder.
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie on Friday would not comment directly on the prosecutor's application but said victims would "finally be able to have justice" following the DNA debacle.
"The double jeopardy laws had to change because if there were people out there, alleged offenders who had committed crimes, and got away with it because of the DNA debacle, then they were off scot-free," he told reporters.
"We wanted to make sure that wasn't the case. Justice, I think, will now be delivered for many Queenslanders, particularly women."
Forensic Science Queensland was established in May 2023 after the two inquiries that concluded that year exposed the major lab failings.
The Liberal National government provided $50 million to clear the DNA lab's backlog inherited from the previous Labor administration.
Attorney-General Deb Frecklington last month said the major crime DNA backlog had been cut by just over 70 per cent, from 11,703 samples in November 2024 to 3488 in May 2026.
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