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NLJ this week: Miscarriages of justice―time for reform

05 May 2021
Issue: 7931 / Categories: Legal News , Criminal
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The shocking wrongful convictions of sub-postmasters has been described as ‘the biggest miscarriage of justice in British legal history’. 

The Post Office prosecuted more than 700 sub-postmasters between 2000 and 2014 based on information from its faulty Horizon software. Some went to prison, while others were financially ruined or faced the shame of a conviction through no fault of their own. Some have since died without their names being cleared, and lawyers have called for a judge-led inquiry to be held into the scandal.

In NLJ this week, Jon Robins writes that the scandal is just one example of miscarriage of justice among many and argues that the Criminal Cases Review Commission system is in need of reform. 

Issue: 7931 / Categories: Legal News , Criminal
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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Serious injury teambolstered by high-profile partner hire

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Firm strengthens employment team with partner hire

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

Lawyers’ liability practice strengthened with partner appointment in London

NEWS
Tech companies will be legally required to prevent material that encourages or assists serious self-harm appearing on their platforms, under Online Safety Act 2023 regulations due to come into force in the autumn
Commercial leasehold, the defence of insanity and ‘consent’ in the criminal law are among the next tranche of projects for the Law Commission
The Bar has a culture of ‘impunity’ and ‘collusive bystanding’ in which making a complaint is deemed career-ending due to a ‘cohort of untouchables’ at the top, Baroness Harriet Harman KC has found
Lawyers have broadly welcomed plans to electronically tag up to 22,000 more offenders, scrap most prison terms below a year and make prisoners ‘earn’ early release
David Lammy, Ellie Reeves and Baroness Levitt have taken up office at the Ministry of Justice, following the cabinet reshuffle
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