Wrongful Conviction Review
Definition
A post-conviction process in which a court, review commission, or independent body re-examines the evidence supporting a conviction. In England and Wales this is conducted by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC); analogous bodies exist in Canada, New Zealand, and some US states.
- Process type
- Post-conviction re-examination
- England and Wales body
- Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC)
- Similar bodies
- Canada, New Zealand, some US states
Common questions
What can trigger a wrongful conviction review body like the CCRC to take up a case?+
A convicted person, their representative, or sometimes the body itself can refer a case, typically after new evidence emerges, such as fresh forensic testing, a change in scientific understanding, or evidence of flawed original testimony.
What can a body like the CCRC actually do once it reviews a case?+
It can refer the case back to an appeal court if it finds a real possibility the conviction would not be upheld, but it does not itself overturn convictions, leaving the final decision to the court.
Related terms
- Contextual Bias
- Influence from information that is irrelevant to the technical task and can affect observations, interpretation or conclusions. Relevance and timing matter: substrate...
- Duty of Impartiality
- The obligation to evaluate and present expert material objectively, within competence and the duties applicable to the proceeding. It includes relevant limitations...
- Fabrication of Evidence
- The deliberate creation of false scientific results or the falsification of existing results for use in legal proceedings. It is the most...
- Sequential Unmasking
- An information-management approach controlling when additional material is disclosed and preserving earlier observations and decisions. Release task-relevant information when needed and document...
- Witness Immunity
- A common-law protection that historically shielded expert witnesses from civil liability for statements made in judicial proceedings. In England and Wales it...