By Tony O’Riley-
The Criminal Cases Review Commission, the UK’s essential body responsible for investigating wrongful convictions, today announced a comprehensive inspection of its crucial casework procedures. Dame Vera Baird KC, the commission’s new interim chair, confirmed His Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) will conduct the full professional review immediately.
HMCPSI Chief Inspector Anthony Rogers attended a CCRC staff day on Friday [3 October 2025] to set out in broad terms, the nature of the inspection, which will commence in January 2026. He answered questions from CCRC staff.
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The event, which also included updates on the Leveson Review, grooming gang issues, the CCRC’s Forensic Opportunities Programme, Post Office cases, and the special project on Imprisonment/detention for Public Protection brought together the whole organisation to develop knowledge, share experience and promote teamwork.
Dame Vera said: “We will be doing more to bring our people more frequently together, given that their contracts mean that the majority work at home. Everybody I spoke to told me how much they enjoyed and benefitted from feeling more closely part of a team.”
This decisive step follows intense public and political scrutiny over the agency’s recent performance, which included a concerning collapse in the number of cases forwarded to the Court of Appeal, including long delays to the investigative process of application’s claims.
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Kim Johnson MP and Dame Vera Baird DBE KC Interim Chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission. Pic: Andy Aitchison
Severe long delays have in past times marred the investigations of many applicants’ claims, further eroding public trust in the CCRC’s fundamental purpose. The shocking mishandling of the high-profile Andrew Malkinson case, where a man spent 17 years wrongfully imprisoned, particularly highlighted the necessity for urgent, systemic change.
Such extreme miscarriages of justice are not isolated in history; though more shocking was the abysmal level of recklessness and oversight displayed by the criminal justice system in the subsequent years Mr.Malkinson sought to prove his innocence in light of new evidence.
Dame Vera Baird KC took charge in June, inheriting an organization widely criticized for what the Justice Select Committee had previously described as a “remarkable inability to learn from its own mistakes.” The new chair explicitly stated that the purpose of this CCRC casework review is to reassure stakeholders, the public, and most importantly, the applicants themselves, that the commission strives for the highest standards.
Miscarriage watchdog invites CPS inspectorate to review handling of wrongful convictions. CCRC interim chair Vera Baird: ‘It is important that stakeholders have confidence. We know we need the assurance of an inspection to prove that point.’ https://t.co/7Tp5TaW2Mo pic.twitter.com/HE6igHYwg9
— The Justice Gap @justicegap.bsky.social (@JusticeGap) October 8, 2025
She welcomed the involvement of the experienced HMCPSI, a body deeply familiar with robust casework systems, believing their expertise will be invaluable. Dame Vera added that undertaking this external review demonstrates the commission’s clear intention to be fully transparent and completely open to learning critical lessons from its past shortcomings.
The new leadership is actively working to shift the inherited culture, which often saw staff, including senior leaders, routinely working in isolation from home. The CCRC casework review initiative is designed to restore confidence in the criminal justice system’s final safety net and ensure integrity moving forward.
Dame Vera said: “It is important that all our stakeholders, Westminster, the public and particularly our applicants and potential applicants, can have confidence in the work we do. We know that we need the assurance of an inspection to prove that point or to make clear that we still have improvements to make.
“I am very pleased that I have been able to engage the experienced HMCPSI, who do a range of inspections by invitation and have wide experience of casework systems. This step should help to reassure everyone that we will strive to deliver the highest standards.
“The introduction of a HMCPSI inspection goes some way towards showing that we intend to be transparent, open to learning and ready to engage with partners. Our mission and sole purpose is to root out miscarriages of justice, and we intend to do it well.”
HMCPSI Chief Inspector Anthony Rogers said: “HMCPSI has been conducting independent inspection for 25 years. We have a wealth of experience which we will use as we inspect the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
“Independent inspection is vital for driving performance improvements and delivering real benefits. I welcome this opportunity to work closely with the CCRC and help strengthen their processes and ensure they fulfil their crucial mission of identifying and correcting miscarriages of justice.”
Dame Vera said: “We will be doing more to bring our people more frequently together, given that their contracts mean that the majority work at home. Everybody I spoke to told me how much they enjoyed and benefitted from feeling more closely part of a team.”
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