When Justice Goes Rogue: Can the Criminal Cases Review Commission do its Job?
About this episode
The episode discusses the challenges faced by the Criminal Cases Review Commission and features an interview with its Chair, Dame Vera Baird KC.
The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) is a vital cog in the UK legal system but both before and after the catalogue of failures in handling of the Andrew Malkinson case were laid out in great detail in Chris Henley KC’s 2024 Report (https://cdn.websitebuilder.service.justice.gov.uk/uploads/sites/5/2024/10 henleyreport.pdf) it was widely regarded as an institution in permanent crisis, badly managed and apparently incapable of fulfilling the goals which lead to its creation via the Criminal Appeal Act 1995 in the wake of a series o high profile legal cases and miscarriages of justice. In this week’s episode Ken Macdonald KC and Tim Owen KC are joined by the Chair of the CCRC, Dame Vera Baird KC, for expert legal commentary and ask why she took on the job in 2025 following the resignation of the much criticised former Chair, Helen Pitcher, and whether she is optimistic that she can turn the organisation around despite the numerous structural flaws identified in the recently published Report by His Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (https://hmcpsi.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/report/criminal-cases-review commission-casework/). Does the baleful legacy of remote…
More episodes of Double Jeopardy - UK Law and Politics
- Prince Harry versus The Daily Mail: Whitewash or Fiasco?
- Memories of Brexit, the Palestine Action Appeal, and Reforming the Law of Homicide
- Free Speech, SLAPPs, and the Public Interest. Plus- Keir Departs
- Listeners’ Postbag: The Fordingbridge Rapes, Jeremy Bamber, and Palestine Action
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Double Jeopardy - UK Law and Politics podcast page.