Judges reject Lockerbie bomber’s appeal against conviction – BBC News
‘Scottish judges have rejected a third appeal on behalf of the Libyan man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing.’
BBC News, 16th January 2021
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: miscarriage of justice
Paul Cleeland case: Government reviews files on 1972 murder – BBC News
‘The Home Office is reviewing its archives to see if any files exist on Paul Cleeland, who has been fighting to clear his name of murder for 47 years.’
BBC News, 20th November 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Appealing convictions and sentences after the Court of Appeal – KCH Garden Sq
‘A defendant’s right to appeal following a magistrates or crown court conviction is widely recognised across the entire criminal justice system. What is much less well-known is what options are available should a defendant’s appeal be unsuccessful. There will always be cases where a defendant or counsel are sincerely of the view that there has been a miscarriage of justice in a particular matter, whether it be the conviction itself is unsafe, or the sentence passed is manifestly excessive. This view may be taken immediately after a failed appeal, or years down the line where new evidence has come to light, shining a different perspective over the case as a whole. But what can they do about it? The jury returned their verdict, the single judge and full Court of Appeal turned them down, what route do they have to have their case looked at again?’
KCH Garden Sq, November 2020
Source: kchgardensquare.co.uk
Legal aid services are on brink of collapse, lawyers tell MPs – The Guardian
‘Legal aid services are on the brink of collapse due to successive cuts and the disruption wreaked by Covid-19, say lawyers.’
The Guardian, 29th October 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
Report raises alarm over police detention of vulnerable suspects in England and Wales – The Guardian
‘Police officers detained and interviewed hundreds of thousands of vulnerable suspects last year in England and Wales in breach of mandatory safeguards, according to the body that sets standards for those who support vulnerable adults in police custody.’
The Guardian, 28th September 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Unrealistic’ appeals system fails prisoners who have been victims of abuse – report – The Guardian
‘One month window to challenge convictions in England and Wales means women who have experienced trauma are unfairly criminalised, campaigners say.’
The Guardian, 17th June 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
Postmasters were prosecuted using unreliable evidence – BBC News
‘The Post Office prosecuted postmasters over missing money despite having evidence its own computer system could be to blame.’
BBC News, 8th June 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Coercive Control and the consequences of forfeiture – Challen v Challen [2020] EWHC 1330 – St John’s Chambers
‘Sally Challen’s case has become well known in recent years, as a miscarriage of justice that resulted in a woman spending years behind bars for an offence she did not commit. The facts were not in dispute. In August 2010 she had reconciled with Richard, her partner and husband of forty years, after previously leaving the matrimonial home and starting divorce proceedings. Over lunch, she beat him to death with a hammer. Subsequently dissuaded from committing suicide, she was convicted of his murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, with the prosecution describing her as jealous and possessive, and the jury rejecting her defence of diminished responsibility. In 2019 the Court of Appeal allowed her appeal, quashed her conviction, and directed a re-trial to reconsider the defences of diminished responsibility and provocation, in the light of new expert evidence about the effect of coercive control in a relationship. Richard had behaved appallingly towards Slly during their relationship. Finally in September 2019 the Crown accepted the plea that Sally Challen had offered throughout, that of guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. Edis J sentenced her to 9 years and 4 months imprisonment, with the effect that she was immediately released.’
St John's Chambers, 28th May 2020
Source: www.stjohnschambers.co.uk
Gerry Adams wins appeal against Maze Prison escape convictions – BBC News
‘Gerry Adams has won his appeal to have two convictions for attempting to escape from prison in the 1970s overturned.’
BBC News, 13th May 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
EHRC warning on use of video hearings in criminal cases – Legal Futures
‘The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHCR) has called on the government to take action to reduce the risk of disabled people being wrongly convicted because of video hearings in criminal cases.’
Legal Futures, 24th April 2020
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
Charles and Diana Ingram to challenge guilty verdicts in Millionaire case – The Guardian
‘Charles and Diana Ingram will ask the court of appeal to overturn their convictions for cheating on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? – arguing that new audio analysis casts serious doubt on the evidence used to prosecute them.’
The Guardian, 15th April 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
Forensic science failures putting justice at risk, says regulator – The Guardian
‘Innocent people are being wrongly convicted and criminals are escaping justice because of the failure of the forensic science system to meet basic standards, the regulator has said.’
The Guardian, 25th February 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Missing’ Oval Four member to have conviction reviewed after he came forward in wake of three other successful appeals – Daily Telegraph
‘The final member of the “Oval Four” – four black men who were wrongly convicted nearly 50 years ago on the evidence of a corrupt police officer – is set to have his name cleared.’
Daily Telegraph, 13th January 2020
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Police reject judge’s call to apologise over wrongful conviction – The Guardian
‘Police have refused to apologise to a man wrongly jailed for 25 years because officers lied at his trial, even after the now-retired appeal court judge who quashed the conviction told the Guardian that the force should say sorry.’
The Guardian, 13th January 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
Jeremy Bamber lawyers challenge CPS over withheld evidence – The Guardian
‘Lawyers representing Jeremy Bamber, who is serving a whole life sentence for killing his adoptive parents, sister and her six-year-old twin boys in 1985, have launched a high court challenge to the Crown Prosecution Service for its failure to disclose evidence they say would undermine the safety of his conviction.’
The Guardian, 8th December 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Oval Four’ men jailed in 1972 cleared by court of appeal in London – The Guardian
‘Three men who were convicted nearly 50 years ago on the evidence of a corrupt police officer have finally had their names cleared by senior judges.’
The Guardian, 5th December 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
Police cuts could see rise in miscarriages of justice, says forensic expert – The Guardian
‘Austerity cuts in the police force could lead to an increase in miscarriages of justice, a leading forensic scientist has warned, as constraints on funding lead to in-house forensic teams performing more selective tests.’
The Guardian, 29th May 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
Crimes are going unsolved because forensic science services are in crisis, a damning Lords report warns – Daily Telegraph
‘Serious crimes are going unsolved and innocent people are being wrongly convicted due to a “crisis” in the forensic science industry in England and Wales, a damning report has found.’
Daily Telegraph, 1st May 2019
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Nurse jailed for injecting husband with insulin could have murder conviction quashed, court hears – Daily Telegraph
‘A nurse who spent 15 years in prison for murdering her disabled husband by injecting him with insulin could have her conviction quashed in the wake of new medical evidence.’
Daily Telegraph, 18th March 2019
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
