header-logo header-logo

21 May 2021 / Theo Huckle KC
Issue: 7933 / Categories: Opinion , Legal aid focus , Criminal
printer mail-detail

Post Office postscript: what price justice?

49410
The PO cases bring into sharp relief serious failings & inaccessibility on both criminal & civil sides of our justice system, says Theo Huckle QC

In his comment piece here on 7 May, Jon Robins posed the question as to whether the Post Office (PO) scandal is just one example of miscarriage of justice in a system no longer fit for purpose (see ‘Post Office: far from the end of the road?’ NLJ 7 May 2021, p7). He queried in particular whether the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), established under s 8 of the Criminal Appeal Act 1995 in the aftermath of the 1970s miscarriage cases (Guildford Four; Birmingham Six; Maguire Seven; Judith Ward) and the ensuing Royal Commission on Criminal Justice report of July 1993, was fulfilling its intended function given the drastic reduction in its funding and, consequently, in the number of cases it referred to the Court of Appeal. Dr Robins referred to specific cases (Malkinson; Benquit) of convictions in

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Workplace law firm expands commercial disputes team with senior consultant hire

EIP—Rob Barker

EIP—Rob Barker

IP firm promotes patent attorney to partner

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Banking and restructuring team bolstered by insolvency specialist

NEWS
The Supreme Court has delivered a decisive ruling on termination under the JCT Design & Build form. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Singer KC and Jonathan Ward, of Kings Chambers, analyse Providence Building Services v Hexagon Housing Association [2026] UKSC 1, which restores the first-instance decision and curbs contractors’ termination rights for repeated late payment
Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes
The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
back-to-top-scroll