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13 May 2019 / Michael Zander KC
Issue: 7840 / Categories: Features , Criminal , Procedure & practice
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Reasons to Doubt: Wrongful Convictions and the Criminal Cases Review Commission

"This book about the Criminal Cases Review Commission is a treasure trove of information"
  • Authors: Carolyn Hoyle and Mai Sato
  • Publisher: Oxford University Press
  • ISBN: 9780198794578
  • Pages: 416
  • RRP: £75.00

This book about the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) is a treasure trove of information. Lawyers who represent applicants to the CCRC may find it especially of interest, offering insights that could help their work.

Carolyn Hoyle is professor of criminology in Oxford; Mai Sato is associate professor at the University of Reading. Their book is based on a four-year empirical study, both qualitative and quantitative, of decision-making by commissioners and staff, including 90 interviews, a staff survey and analysis of the CCRC’s internal guidance documents. A sample of 146 cases, some already closed, some ongoing during the research, was studied in detail.  

A principal focus of the book was to examine how the CCRC and its staff go about making the decision whether to investigate

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