An injustice that won’t go away – The Independent
“A 1988 murder led to the conviction of three innocent men. Now ‘Panorama’ looks again at the role of the police.”
The Independent, 12th August 2012
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Category: miscarriage of justice
Man jailed for 16 years could be freed through fresh DNA evidence – The Guardian
“A man who has spent almost 16 years in prison for a crime he always denied committing may soon be freed after DNA traces from another man persuaded investigators to refer his case to the court of appeal.”
The Guardian, 18th July 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Closure of forensic archive a ‘shambles’, experts warn – BBC News
“The closure of the forensic science archive in England and Wales will cause miscarriages of justice and stop police solving crimes, senior politicians, scientists and lawyers have warned.”
BBC News, 18th July 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Hundreds’ of miscarriage of justice claims over legal advice failings – Law Society’s Gazette
“Hundreds of asylum seekers and refugees convicted of immigration-related offences such as failure to produce a passport may have been the victims of miscarriages of justice, the Gazette can reveal.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 14th June 2012
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Barry George in compensation case – BBC News
“Barry George, who was wrongly convicted of the murder of BBC TV presenter Jill Dando, can fight a test case for compensation, a judge has ruled.”
BBC News, 18th May 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Sam Hallam: the cost of failure – Halsbury’s Law Exchange
“Imagine that and you are 17-years-old and wrongly convicted! Yesterday, the Court of Appeal quashed Sam Hallam’s conviction for murder by joint enterprise after he had served seven years of a life sentence. He is now 24. He has been inside since before Take That announced they would reform and before Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire became the highest grossing film of 2005. He has missed the 2008 Olympics and Diversity winning #BGT. He will not have been Facebooking his mates or hanging out with girls. He has no employment history, no iPhone and his Dad committed suicide whilst he was imprisoned.”
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 18th May 2012
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
Hallam’s case will send shockwaves through criminal justice system – The Guardian
“Today’s miscarriages of justice are caused by ineptitude or dishonesty by police. Tomorrow’s may be caused by underpaid defence lawyers.”
The Guardian, 17th May 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Sam Hallam murder conviction officially quashed – The Guardian
“A young man who spent more than seven years in jail for a murder he insists he did not commit has had his conviction quashed by judges.”
The Guardian, 17th May 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Sam Hallam released after seven years in prison – The Guardian
“Sam Hallam became one of the youngest victims of a miscarriage of justice on Wednesday when the court of appeal released him after he served seven years for murder.”
The Guardian, 16th May 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Miscarriages of justice may be out of fashion, but they haven’t gone away – The Guardian
“Breakthroughs in cases such as Susan May and Sam Hallam are rare but what to do about alleged wrong convictions is the subject of much debate.”
The Guardian, 15th May 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Parents reunited with baby after court rules fractures were caused by rickets – The Guardian
“A couple accused of abusing their baby after 17 fractures were discovered have welcomed a court ruling which found that the fractures were not caused by abuse but by the bone-weakening disease rickets.”
The Guardian, 9th May 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Our criminal review body has led to dozens of convictions quashed – The Guardian
“The Home Office had abjectly failed victims of miscarriage. The CCRC is putting that right.”
The Guardian, 19th April 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Fighting miscarriages of justice in the age of reality TV – Halsbury’s Law Exchange
“What is your idea of a miscarriage of justice? Is it that Laura Johnson is likely to go to prison for ferrying rioters about or that the Guantanamo five will be executed if (most think when) found guilty by a military court. For some it is that people are sent to prison on weak or uncorroborated evidence. For others it is the limitations placed by the Court of Appeal on reviewing convictions.”
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 10th April 2012
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
Michael Mansfield: ‘Risk of miscarriages of justice as great as ever’ – The Guardian
“At the Guardian’s Open Weekend, Michael Mansfield QC warns against imagining that miscarriages of justice are something that have declined since famous confession-based cases of the 1980s. In today’s world, where faulty forensic evidence is more likely to be the problem, he worries about access to justice, pointing the finger at the emasculation of the legal aid system by successive governments and a renewed attempt to erode the right to trial by jury.”
The Guardian, 2nd April 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Criminal Cases Review Commission must be reformed, say campaigners – The Guardian
“Innocent people wrongly convicted of serious crimes are being routinely failed by the body set up to investigate miscarriages of justice, according to lawyers and campaigners. They will call this week for urgent reform of the Criminal Cases Review Commission – set up in the wake of high profile miscarriages of justice including the Birmingham Six and Guildford Four – on the 15th anniversary of the formation of the independent review body.”
The Guardian, 27th March 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Related link: Miscarriages of justice? Cases that campaigners want CCRC to reconsider
An open and shut case – The Guardian
“Closing the Forensic Science Service will make miscarriages of justice more likely.”
The Guardian, 16th February 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Axing of Forensic Science Service may lead to rise in miscarriages of justice, scientists warn – The Guardian
“Conviction of David Bryant for child sex assault will be pioneering forensics team’s last success.”
The Guardian, 12th February 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
The CCRC isn’t perfect, but calls for reform need to be part of a wider debate – The Guardian
“Campaigners call for an overhaul of the organisation that investigates miscarriages of justice.”
The Guardian, 26th January 2012
Soruce: www.guardian.co.uk
Ex Cleveland PC Sultan Alam awarded £400,000 damages – BBC News
“A former Cleveland Police officer who was wrongfully sent to prison has been awarded almost £400,000 after an 18-year legal fight.”
BBC News, 26th January 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Anti-gang efforts hampered by legal confusion, warn MPs – The Guardian
“Efforts to tackle gang-related violence are being hampered by confusion over the complex law on joint enterprise, which could deter witnesses from coming forward, according to a report by the Commons justice select committee.”
The Guardian, 17th January 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
