Key facts
- The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) must urgently improve its casework quality assurance and address delays.
- A watchdog's inspection found significant weaknesses and made 34 recommendations for the CCRC.
- The CCRC faced heavy criticism for its handling of the Andrew Malkinson case, where he served 17 years for a crime he did not commit.
- Malkinson could have been released 10 years earlier if the CCRC had acted on new DNA evidence in 2009.
- The CCRC is dealing with 102 long-running cases and has seen a sustained rise in applications.
The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) must urgently improve its investigative processes to prevent a recurrence of failings like those seen in the Andrew Malkinson case, according to a report by the Crown Prosecution Service's chief inspector, Anthony Rogers.
The watchdog's inspection found a significant gap in proactive, effective casework quality assurance and identified 34 recommendations to address weaknesses, delays, and inefficiencies. The CCRC has faced intense criticism following the Malkinson case, one of Britain's worst miscarriages of justice, which led to the resignation of its chief executive and chair. Dame Vera Baird has been appointed interim chair to lead an overhaul.
Malkinson spent 17 years in prison for a rape he did not commit. A review indicated he could have been released a decade earlier had the CCRC obtained crucial DNA evidence sooner. The real perpetrator, Paul Quinn, was sentenced to 21 years last month.
Rogers noted that while the CCRC has a 'chequered history' and 'cultural issues', it is ultimately 'fit for purpose'. He stated that improvements in quality assurance, case strategy, progress monitoring, and challenging unnecessary work could prevent cases from reaching the severity of the Malkinson situation. The CCRC is currently managing 102 long-running cases and has experienced a rise in applications.