Responding to Wrongful Convictions

Abstract

This chapter provides a background on the Criminal Cases Review Commission of England and Wales, first by tracing its origins and remit and then comparing its post-conviction review procedures with those of other jurisdictions. It was the Criminal Appeal Act 1907, which established the Court of Criminal Appeal, that introduced the first system of regular appeals against criminal conviction in England and Wales. The Court of Criminal Appeal was the forerunner of today's Court (Criminal Division), created in 1966. Since the Commission started work in 1997, it has received thousands of applications relating to wrongful convictions and/or sentences. After discussing the history of the Criminal Cases Review Commission in the UK, the chapter considers post-conviction review in other parts of the world, focusing on Scotland, Norway, North Carolina, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.