A Long Walk to Justice

Product Information

Much of what you post here is the same sensationalist media garbage that plays such a huge part in convicting innocent people. It will, of course, be for Mr Middleton to decide whether he wishes to take legal action regarding the content and intention of this post.

How you can attempt to pass yourself off as a champion of those suffering injustice, when you can stoop to these depths to smear an INNOCENT man, in your attempts to discredit me, is beyond me and, I suspect, any right thinking person. Reading his MOJ2010 speech just puts my blood pressure right up because there is hardly one single paragraph that contains the whole truth. Unfortunately there is very little that I can state as "fact" as at it would mean exposing people and information that at the moment has to remain confidential. I am, however, now in a position to comment on the following subject things that I was told as Billy took it upon himself to expose his ex-wife as the person to whom the sexual assault charges concerned.

I think of the criminal justice system as a dreary casino where the quest for justice is a roll of the die that comes up craps as often as not.’ She stresses investigation is the crucial part of uncovering such cases, and the CCRC’s power to obtain documents and compel witness statements was what got most innocent people out of jail.

Bolton established an Innocence Project in New Orleans before returning to the UK and founding the Centre for Criminal Appeals which investigates wrongful convictions. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the annual Pro Bono Week event, from 1-5 November, which offers an opportunity to recognise and support the voluntary contribution made by the legal profession across the UK in giving free and much needed legal assistance to those in need: see probonoweek.org.uk/ Are all miscarriages corrected? I’m sure they’re not. But the question I pose when challenged by critics is, “what’s your alternative?”’ McLaughlin says Nealon’s case shows how hard it is to achieve justice, despite the CCRC, and how the system brushes cases like Nealon’s under the carpet. If the original trial evidence was a load of cobblers, why does there need to be new evidence? Why can’t we just say, all this was a load of cobblers. There are loads of cases where logically, you can’t get new evidence.’

Woffinden has been involved with wrongful conviction cases for more than 30 years and says having a CCRC simply institutionalised miscarriages of justice. After training in New Zealand, Malcolm Birdling did a PhD at Oxford University comparing the CCRC with the Royal Prerogative of Mercy, and has recently appeared at the Privy Council in both the Mark Lundy and Teina Pora cases. With all due respect I find it mind boggling how people can continue to support a complete shambles ( not my words, the liaison officer who gave evidence) of an investigation.