Justice Committee to question Criminal Cases Review Commission chiefs

• Tuesday 1st April
• Justice Committee
• Watch on parliament.tv

MPs on the cross-party Committee chaired by Labour MP Andy Slaughter have called on CCRC bosses to attend a hearing in Parliament amid concerns over the current challenges it is facing.

CCRC Chief Executive Karen Kneller will appear before the Committee alongside Casework Operations Director Amanda Pearce and potentially an Interim Chair if in place before the date of the session.

Committee Chair Mr Slaughter wrote to the Lord Chancellor in January in the wake of the resignation of CCRC Chair Helen Pitcher OBE formally requesting the Government adds the role of the Chair of the CCRC to those which are subject to pre-appointment scrutiny by the Justice Committee.

Minister for Courts and Legal Services Sarah Sackman KC MP responded to the Committee’s letter earlier this month. The Justice Committee conducts accountability hearings for a number of bodies including the CCRC. It last appeared before the Committee on 25 May 2021.

Chair comment

“This forthcoming evidence session is a timely opportunity to question the CCRC leadership following the departure of its Chair and wider reports over multiple challenges facing the CCRC and its management. Members will be seeking answers to a wide-ranging set of questions.

“Given the circumstances of Ms Pitcher’s resignation action must be taken to rebuild the reputation of the CCRC and repair some of the damage to public trust in the organisation that has been done during Ms Pitcher’s time as Chair. The Committee has already requested that the Government adds the role of the Chair of the CCRC to those which are subject to pre-appointment scrutiny by the Justice Committee.

“The independent review of the CCRC’s handling of the Andrew Malkinson case by Chris Henley KC was damning. It was clear that the CCRC failed Andrew Malkinson repeatedly, both in handling his applications and then failing to take responsibility for those failings after he was acquitted by the Court of Appeal. It is vital that the leadership of the CCRC are held to account for the response to these findings and that the Committee has the opportunity to scrutinise the CCRC’s other work.”

Further information

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Image: Kaspars Grinvalds