Martin Partington: Spotlight on the Justice System

The adverse impact of being wrongfully convicted of a crime that you have not committee is obvious. But once the wrongful conviction comes to light, how should the state deal with those now exonerated. This detailed issues was the subject of a special report by JUSTICE, the Human Rights Organisation, in April 2018. (I am a member of the JUSTICE council but was not involved in this report.)

Way back in 1982, JUSTICE published a report, Compensation for Wrongful Imprisonment. Unfortunately, little has changed since then. Exonerees still do not receive the support they need to return to a normal life and are not properly compensated. A number of recent cases of wrongful conviction highlight the need to continue to address the issue and argue for change.

The new report makes it clear that, although monetary compensation may well be important, it is not just a question of money. Other types of support are needed as well.

The report makes 14 recommendations including:

• Better management of the transition from incarceration to release.
• The need for specialist psychiatric care for exonerees.
• The setting up of a residential service to provide practical and welfare support to exonerees.
• An independent body to determine whether applicants are eligible for compensation.
• Automatic compensation for wrongful imprisonment, subject to certain exceptions.
• An apology and explanation of the failure that leads to a quashed conviction and, where necessary, a public inquiry.

The full report is available at https://justice.org.uk/our-work/areas-of-work/criminal-justice-system/supporting-exonerees-ensuring-accessible-continuing-and-consistent-support/