A rotten system ensures miscarriages of justice will continue
3 days ago
- #Criminal Justice Reform
- #Legal System Failures
- #Wrongful Convictions
- David Lace confesses to a murder but is never charged, while an innocent man, Sean Hodgson, serves 27 years in prison.
- Sam Hallam, wrongly convicted at 17, spends years in prison despite evidence proving his innocence, leading to personal tragedies including his father's suicide.
- Multiple cases of wrongful convictions are highlighted, including the Birmingham Six and the Guildford Four, showing systemic failures in the justice system.
- The establishment of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) was meant to address miscarriages of justice, but it has been undermined by budget cuts and inefficiency.
- Tony Blair's 2002 speech redefined 'miscarriage of justice' to focus on the guilty escaping punishment, shifting public and media attention away from the wrongly convicted.
- Legal barriers, such as the deletion of court transcripts and denial of access to evidence, make it nearly impossible for the wrongly convicted to appeal.
- The CCRC rejects 97% of applications annually, with serious concerns about the quality of its investigations due to budget cuts and target obsessions.
- Compensation for wrongful imprisonment is minimal, with most victims receiving nothing, highlighting a complete hostile environment for the innocent.
- Police impunity and lack of oversight have led to a resurgence of dubious practices like jailhouse confessions and withheld evidence.
- The justice system's failures ensure that the innocent remain convicted, with no effective recourse or accountability for those responsible.