The Criminal Cases Review Commission is not a ‘failing’ organisation, inspectors today declared - despite giving the miscarriage of justice body 34 recommendations to improve.
Interim CCRC chair Dame Vera Baird asked HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate last year to conduct an in-depth probe, recognising that confidence in the CCRC had been ‘badly damaged’ after the organisation came under fire for its handling of the Andrew Malkinson miscarriage of justice.
Inspectors examined 60 cases and interviewed several members of staff. Publishing its findings today, they said the decisions in those 60 cases were ‘ultimately sound and reached the right conclusions’ - but identified ‘several key issues’ that needed to be addressed urgently.
For instance, the route taken to reach those recommendations ‘was often convoluted’ and the CCRC ‘lacks the qualitative casework assurance measures at all levels to drive consistent and sustained improvements in casework quality’.
The CCRC can apply to the Crown court for an order requiring the production of material from non-public bodies – but this has only been done once in the CCRC’s 30-year history. Two cases, in which the applicant was in prison, should have been prioritised but were not. The legal team were underused due to ‘historical trust issues'.
In a foreword to the report, chief inspector Anthony Rogers said the CCRC was not a 'failing' organisation - a finding he repeated during a media briefing. Rogers said: ‘Sometimes you give a dog a bad name and it sticks. But I’m not sure it’s critical to the extent that individuals would have us believe the CCRC is not fit for purpose. That’s not our findings. There are lots of things they need to do, but ultimately they are fit for purpose and on the right direction.'
The CCRC today published an action plan.
Baird, whose tenure has been extended, said: ‘It’s clear that HMCPSI scrutinised every aspect of our process. They make six recommendations for the next 12 months and 34 overall. I thank them particularly for the clear focus on casework quality assurance. In the last year the commission has referred 45 cases to the appeal courts, almost as high a figure as it has achieved before. All casework will be better planned and independently scrutinised from now on.
‘I am fortunate to have a committed new chief executive in Tracey Calleia, with whom I have spoken with the inspectors. She and I have met with casework staff and management to work up a plan for change, to meet the recommendations, though some changes have already been made.’
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