No refunds in historic miscarriage of justice cases

no-refunds-in-historic-miscarriage-of-justice-cases
No refunds in historic miscarriage of justice cases

The UK government has denied requests to repay sufferers of miscarriages of justice for the money they spent on “bed and board” during their time in jail. By introducing compensation payments, an attempt has been made to address the suffering endured by those who were wrongfully incarcerated and ensure that they can put their lives back together. However, for those who had previously been docked funds to cover costs such as rental accommodation and food, the ruling provides those funds cannot be refunded due to a lack of retrospective powers.

A substantial number of wrongly accused individuals have been impacted by this decision, including Paul Blackburn who was convicted for attempted murder at just 15 years of age. With evidence proved to be fabricated by the police force, Blackburn served 25 years of imprisonment before being awarded compensation. However, the government retained over £100,000 from his payout, thus leaving him with a strained financial situation. Last year, the government abolished this policy for future payments, which followed the case of Andrew Malkinson, who was wrongfully sentenced for 17 years.

Although some believed that this should be applied retroactively, the government has stated that changes in policy cannot be treated as such. This news has been met with criticism by Blackburn and his solicitors who intend to take the case to court. Malkinson, who spent close to two decades in prison for a crime he did not commit, believes the system requires thorough review and acceleration so that those who experience these conditions, and do receive compensation, do so in a timely and efficient manner. A document from the House of Commons library in 2015 provides that miscarriage of justice compensation is a rare occurrence. Regardless of the situation, justice must be fairly granted to all, especially in instances such as these

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