Protecting the Innocent – BBC Law in Action

Posted February 11th, 2015 in appeals, firearms, gangs, imprisonment, miscarriage of justice, murder, news, young offenders by sally

‘Dwaine George was sent to prison in 2001 for murder. Aged 18 and a member of a Manchester gang, he was convicted for shooting dead another 18-year-old and sentenced to life imprisonment. But Dwaine George said he didn’t do it and continued to protest his innocence throughout the 12 years he eventually served. He was finally vindicated by the Court of Appeal shortly before Christmas, when his conviction was quashed.’

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BBC Law in Action, 12th February 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Angel of Death’ murders: Juror’s doubt over guilty verdict – Daily Telegraph

‘Paul Moffitt is the second juror to cast doubt on the 2008 conviction of the nurse Colin Norris for killing four elderly hospital patients.’

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Daily Telegraph, 28th January 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

MPs call for review of law used in gang murder cases – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 17th, 2014 in gangs, joint enterprise, miscarriage of justice, murder, news, race discrimination by sally

‘Laws which allow defendants to be convicted of murder in a ‘joint enterprise’ should be urgently reviewed, says select committee.’

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Daily Telegraph, 17th December 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

‘Angel of Death’ murders: TV investigation casts doubt over conviction of Colin Norris – Daily Telegraph

‘New scientific evidence casts fresh doubt on the conviction of a nurse who was jailed for a minimum of 30 years for murdering four elderly women and attempting to kill another, according a TV investigation.’

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Daily Telegraph, 15th December 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

UK judge praises students for helping overturn murder conviction – The Guardian

‘A judge has praised the “diligent” work of law students for helping overturn a former gang member’s murder conviction.’

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The Guardian, 9th December 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Mazher Mahmood: CPS to re-examine 25 ‘Fake Sheikh’ cases – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 8th, 2014 in Crown Prosecution Service, damages, evidence, miscarriage of justice, news by sally

‘The Crown Prosecution Service says 25 cases where the undercover journalist was a prosecution witness will be reviewed.’

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Daily Telegraph, 4th December 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Fake sheikh Mazher Mahmood cases to be reviewed by CPS – The Guardian

Posted December 5th, 2014 in evidence, miscarriage of justice, news, perjury, prosecutions by sally

‘Criminal convictions in 25 cases are to be re-examined over concerns about evidence provided by the undercover Sun on Sunday reporter Mazher Mahmood.’

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The Guardian, 4th December 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ched Evans: Investigation into rape conviction begins – BBC News

‘An inquiry into the rape conviction of Welsh footballer Ched Evans has begun by the body that examines potential miscarriages of justice.’

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BBC News, 3rd December 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

109 women prosecuted for false rape claims over the last five years – Daily Telegraph

‘A number of women who report rapes are being ‘aggressively prosecuted’ by the police for perverting the course of justice, according to campaign group Women Against Rape.’

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Daily Telegraph, 2nd December 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Dyson: miscarriages of justice likely since LASPO – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Master of the rolls Lord Dyson has told MPs that an increase in litigants in person has caused miscarriages of justice.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 1st December 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Legal aid contracts for on-call criminal solicitors to be slashed by two-thirds – The Guardian

‘On-call, duty contracts for criminal solicitors to attend police stations and courts will be slashed from 1,600 to 527 in England and Wales, the Ministry of Justice has confirmed.’

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The Guardian, 27th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ched Evans conviction to be fast-tracked by watchdog investigating miscarriages of justice – The Independent

Posted October 20th, 2014 in miscarriage of justice, news, ombudsmen, rape by sally

‘The watchdog which investigates possible miscarriages of justice has said it is fast-tracking an application by Ched Evans to review his rape conviction.’

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The Independent, 19th October 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Martin Foran wins second miscarriage of justice appeal – BBC News

Posted October 17th, 2014 in appeals, miscarriage of justice, news, police, robbery by sally

‘A terminally-ill man has won a second miscarriage of justice appeal over robberies he was mistakenly convicted of in the 1970s and 80s.’

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BBC News, 17th October 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

When innocent men go to jail: miscarriages of justice in Britain – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 5th, 2014 in appeals, criminal justice, DNA, evidence, expert witnesses, miscarriage of justice, news by sally

‘“People think that miscarriages of justice are rare and exceptional,” says Dr Michael Naughton, founder of the UK Innocence Project. “But every single day, people are overturning convictions for criminal offences. Miscarriages of justice are routine, even mundane features of the criminal justice system. They are systemic.” ‘

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 4th September 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Home Secretary announces review of undercover policing cases – Home Office

Posted June 27th, 2014 in miscarriage of justice, police, press releases, prosecutions, spying by sally

‘Home Secretary Theresa May today announced details of a review of criminal convictions in cases involving undercover police officers.’

Full press release

Home Office, 26th June 2014

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Wrongfully convicted man Victor Nealon gets apology – BBC News

‘A man who spent 17 years behind bars wrongfully convicted of attempted rape has received an apology from a body set up to examine miscarriages of justice.’

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BBC News, 20th May 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Omar Benguit appeal fails as murder conviction upheld – BBC News

Posted April 10th, 2014 in appeals, miscarriage of justice, murder, news by sally

‘A man jailed for murdering a Korean student has had his conviction upheld, despite claiming a convicted serial killer could have been the culprit.’

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BBC News, 9th April 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Revealed: how 300-year-old duellist law is jailing hundreds for ‘joint enterprise’ killings – The Independent

‘Hundreds of people are convicted of murder or manslaughter every year in England and Wales even though they were not directly responsible for the crime, it is revealed today.’

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The Independent, 1st April 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Regina (Ali) v Secretary of State for Justice; Regina (Dennis) v Same; Regina (Tunbridge) v Same – WLR Daily

Regina (Ali) v Secretary of State for Justice; Regina (Dennis) v Same; Regina (Tunbridge) v Same [2014] EWCA Civ 194; [2014] WLR (D) 103

‘In determining whether an individual, whose conviction had been quashed on the basis of new evidence, qualified for compensation under section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 on the ground of miscarriage of justice, the Secretary of State for Justice was required to make a decision by applying the statutory test in accordance with Supreme Court guidance to the facts of the particular case. Those facts could include events which postdated the quashing of the conviction in the event that further facts of relevance to the application of the statutory test arose. The Secretary of State might come to his own view, having regard to the terms of the judgment by the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) quashing the conviction, and provided the decision did not conflict with that judgment. The decision was then amenable to judicial review on conventional grounds of challenge, not merely because the court would have reached a different view. Save in exceptional circumstances, it should not be necessary for the court to engage in a detailed review of the facts.’

WLR Daily, 27th February 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Papers about Profumo scandal man ‘should be public’ – BBC News

‘A decision to keep documents relating to a man who was at the centre of the Profumo sex scandal hidden should be overturned, a leading lawyer has said. The Information Commissioner is to be asked to overrule a decision by the National Archives to keep the documents about the trial of Stephen Ward hidden.’

Full story

BBC News, 25th February 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk