UK Law Articles
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The Times
August 5 2000
Review body asked to assess 4,000 cases
SEVERAL high-profile murder convictions have been quashed after investigations by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (Daniel McGrory writes).
Since it was set up in 1997 to re-examine suspected miscarriages of justice, the commission has asked Court of Appeal judges to look at 42 cases. In nearly four out of five cases convictions have been quashed. In only nine cases were original verdicts upheld.
Nearly 4,000 cases alleging a miscarriage of justice have been presented to the independently run commission. A spokesman said: "In most there is no new evidence that was not presented at the original trial or the appeal."
Stephen Downing's parents are among those who have criticised the commission for spending too much time examining high-profile cases such as those of Derek Bentley and James Hanratty.
A spokesman said, however: "Every case believes it is a priority, so we have to draw up our own. We obviously do put at the top those who are still in custody. Also we look at those convicted who are old or very frail, or a crucial witness who may not survive much longer to give evidence.
"Perhaps we should consider whether to give priority depending how long someone has served in prison, but sometimes we take cases where the new evidence is compelling."
Last month Michael Davis, Randolph Johnson and Raphael Rowe, who had served more than a decade in jail for murder and a series of robberies around the M25, were freed by the Court of Appeal after the commission had questioned the original verdicts.
In March John Kamara was freed after the commission's investigation into the murder of a betting shop manager in Liverpool more than 20 years ago. Michael O'Brien, one of the so-called "Cardiff Three" convicted of murdering a newsagent in 1987, was freed last December. In July 1988 Ryan James, a vet, had his conviction quashed for poisoning his wife with a horse sedative after the commission took up the case.
