Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help support victims of historic miscarriages of justice to appeal their convictions.
Answered by Laura Farris - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Ministry of Justice) (jointly with Home Office)
Where the normal time limit for appeals through the courts has passed and where an individual believes they have been wrongly convicted of a crime in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, including in historic cases, they can apply to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) which is an independent public body funded by the Ministry of Justice. The CCRC can investigate and where it considers that there is a real possibility that the conviction would not be upheld were the reference to be made, can refer cases back to the courts.
There is no time limit on any application and the service is free.
To ensure that the appeals system is working effectively, the Government has asked the Law Commission to conduct an independent and wide-ranging Review of the appeals system. The Review will consider the issues raised by the Westminster Commission (2021) on miscarriages of justice, which includes the tests used by the CCRC and the Court of Appeal, and the government will then consider the review’s findings, and any recommendations for change in the law, very carefully.
Nov. 02 2023
Source Page: Applications submitted for compensation for miscarriages of justice: FOI releaseFound: Applications submitted for compensation for miscarriages of justice: FOI release
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take legislative steps to issue automatic compensation payments to individuals wrongly convicted of serious crimes.
Answered by Laura Farris - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Ministry of Justice) (jointly with Home Office)
There are no plans to amend section 133(2) of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 to introduce automatic payments of compensation following a qualifying miscarriage of justice. The statutory scheme sets out the eligibility criteria which must be met before an assessment of the amount of compensation can be made.
On 06 August 2023, the Lord Chancellor announced that wrongly convicted people will no longer face having “saved living costs” deducted from compensation for a miscarriage of justice. The Miscarriages of Justice Compensation Scheme guidance has been updated with immediate effect to reflect that change.
Oral Evidence Mar. 19 2024
Inquiry: The Coroner Service: follow-upFound: Ministry of Justice, and Death Management, Miscarriages of Justice Compensation, Inquiries and Coroners
Oral Evidence Mar. 19 2024
Inquiry: The Coroner Service: follow-upFound: Ministry of Justice, and Death Management, Miscarriages of Justice Compensation, Inquiries and Coroners
Nov. 02 2023
Source Page: Applications submitted for compensation for miscarriages of justice: FOI releaseFound: Applications submitted for compensation for miscarriages of justice: FOI release
Correspondence Sep. 12 2023
Committee: Justice Committee (Department: Ministry of Justice)Found: Letter from Rt Hon Alex Chalk KC MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, dated 14 August
Mentions:
1: Damian Collins (Con - Folkestone and Hythe) Many regard it as a miscarriage of justice, one of a series of miscarriages of justices that we are familiar - Speech Link
2: Barry Sheerman (LAB - Huddersfield) I am here to show support from the commission on the future of justice and miscarriages of justice. - Speech Link
3: Barry Sheerman (LAB - Huddersfield) May I urge him to get involved with the all-party parliamentary group on miscarriages of justice, and - Speech Link
4: Damian Collins (Con - Folkestone and Hythe) I am happy to take up his invitation to become involved with the APPG on miscarriages of justice and - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: None to addressing miscarriages of justice. - Speech Link
2: None Appeal, to remedy any miscarriage of justice. - Speech Link
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) babies, (b) stillborn and (c) miscarriages were cremated in each year between 2020 and 2023.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Data on how many (a) babies, (b) stillborn and (c) miscarriages are cremated each year in England and Wales is not held centrally.