A UK watchdog tasked with reviewing wrongful convictions has been criticized for its handling of high-profile cases, expensive executive courses, and remote working policies, sparking calls for greater accountability.
The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) is the UK’s independent body responsible for reviewing cases where individuals have been wrongly convicted. However, senior management has faced criticism over its handling of certain cases, expensive executive courses, and remote working policies.
The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) is an independent body in England and Wales responsible for reviewing potentially miscarried convictions.
Established in 1995, the CCRC considers appeals from convicted prisoners who claim their conviction was unsafe due to new evidence or errors in the original trial.
The commission's primary goal is to ensure justice is served by re-examining cases where there may have been a miscarriage of justice.
Each case is thoroughly reviewed, and if deemed necessary, the CCRC refers it back to the Court of Appeal for further review.
One notable example is the case of Andrew Malkinson, who was wrongly convicted of murder in 2010. The CCRC‘s failure to secure his release led to an apology from the organization and the resignation of its chair, Helen Pitcher, in January. When questioned by MPs about her handling of the case, Karen Kneller, the CCRC‘s chief executive, acknowledged that they had ‘got it wrong’ and expressed regret for the impact on Malkinson.
Kneller was also asked about reports that she had attended expensive business courses at Insead in France, including a 10-day course costing over £21,000. While she refused to confirm the exact figures, she stated that her organization had invested around £50,000 in her development over the past 12-13 years.
The CCRC‘s remote working policy has been criticized by MPs, who expressed shock at senior staff being absent from the office. Committee chair Andy Slaughter described this as a ‘hole at the heart’ of the organization. Kneller replied that she was highly visible within the organization and engaged in regular updates to staff and meetings.
Kneller urged the committee and others to judge the CCRC‘s performance on all its cases, not just those that receive media attention. She expressed confidence in her ability to lead the organization forward, alongside Amanda Pearce, the casework operations director.
