Press releases

  • Commission refers the joint enterprise murder conviction of Andre Johnson-Haynes to the Court of Appeal

    The Criminal Cases Review Commission has referred the joint enterprise murder conviction of Andre Johnson-Haynes to the Court of Appeal. Mr Johnson-Haynes was one of seven defendants tried on the basis of joint enterprise for the murder of Shakilus Townsend in London in July 2008. All defendants pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court … Read more >

  • Commission refers the travel documents conviction of Sleman Shwaish to the Crown Court

    The Criminal Cases Review Commission has referred the conviction of Sleman Shwaish to the Crown Court. Mr Shwaish, who is a Syrian Kurd, arrived at Heathrow Airport on a flight from Turkey in December 2012. When he presented himself at Immigration Control he admitted that he did not have a passport and said he wished … Read more >

  • Commission refers the sexual offences conviction of Neil Secker to the Court of Appeal

    The Criminal Cases Review Commission has referred the sexual offences conviction of Neil Secker to the Court of Appeal. Mr Secker appeared at Norfolk Crown Court in September 2016 charged with five counts of sexual assault against the same person. He pleaded not guilty to all. The jury acquitted him of the first two counts … Read more >

  • Commission refers the murder conviction of Gordon Park to the Court of Appeal

    The Criminal Cases Review Commission has referred Gordon Park’s murder conviction to the Court of Appeal. Gordon Park was convicted in January 2005 at Manchester Crown Court for the murder of his wife, Carol Park, 29 years after she went missing in the summer of 1976.  He was sentenced to life imprisonment. Carol Park’s body … Read more >

  • CCRC Chair Richard Foster’s farewell speech delivered 10 October 2018 at University College London

    Here is the text of the speech given by  CCRC Chair Richard Foster at UCL on 10th October. The speech was given by Mr Foster to mark the end of his ten year term as Chair of the Commission. The text here may vary slightly from that delivered to the audience.

  • Helen Pitcher OBE appointed as Chairman of the Criminal Cases Review Commission

    Helen Pitcher has been appointed as the next Chairman of the Criminal Cases Review Commission. The appointment, for a period of three years beginning on 1st November 2018, was made by Her Majesty the Queen and announced to Parliament today by the Lord Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Justice. Mrs Pitcher will be … Read more >

  • Update on CCRC’s review of disclosure

    The CCRC has now completed phase one of the disclosure review announced on 25 July 2018. This update details the overall methodology and arrangements for the review, and sets out our proposed timescales for the remaining work on the review.   Methodology The review will look at 306 rape cases which were closed by the … Read more >

  • Commission refers for appeal the travel document conviction of Ms F

    The Criminal Cases Review Commission has referred for appeal the travel document offence of Ms F. Ms F arrived in the UK from Iran without a passport or any other form of immigration document, and was charged with failing to produce an immigration document contrary section 2(1) of the Asylum and Immigration (treatment of claimants) … Read more >

  • MOJ Public Appointments Team recruiting new CCRC Commissioners

    The Ministry of Justice Public Appointments Team is currently recruiting several new Commissioners of the CCRC. For further details and to apply, please visit: https://publicappointments.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/appointment/commissioners-of-the-criminal-cases-review-commission-ccrc/  Applications must be submitted to the Ministry of Justice Public Appointments Team via PublicAppointmentsTeam@justice.gov.uk. by noon on Monday 24th September 2018.

  • Full text of letter from CCRC Chair to The Times – 26 July 2018

    Sir, I welcome your report (Times, 26 July 2018) of the recently announced Criminal Cases Review Commission (‘CCRC’) internal review of disclosure in 306 closed criminal cases. The alarming issue of disclosure failings in the Criminal Justice System has not always received the attention which it deserves. During my ten years as Chair of the … Read more >