Andrew Malkinson welcomes Justice Secretary’s move to sack body chair

Press release – 18 July 2024

It has been reported that Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood is seeking Helen Pitcher’s removal as Chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission and that she is “unfit to fulfil her duties”.

In response, Andrew Malkinson said:

“I am very pleased that the Justice Secretary is seeking to sack Helen Pitcher, who proved herself utterly unfit to lead the CCRC.

“I hope this will be followed with a complete overhaul which transforms the CCRC into a body that delivers justice to wrongfully convicted people like me.

“Ms Pitcher’s discredited senior leadership team should also now go, and be replaced with people who are serious about fighting miscarriages of justice.”

James Burley, who led APPEAL’s investigation into Andrew Malkinson’s case, said:

“Helen Pitcher’s removal as Chair will be a real victory for Andy and the rest of us who know the CCRC has been failing miscarriage of justice victims for years.

“APPEAL welcomes the Justice Secretary’s decisive action, and hopes it will be followed with root and branch changes, including bringing in a fresh leadership team.”

Notes to editors:

1. APPEAL is a charity and law practice that fights miscarriages of justice and demands reform. www.appeal.org.uk
2. Please be aware that this case is subject to reporting restrictions under the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992 and the Contempt of Court Act 1981.
3. The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) is a statutory body responsible for reviewing suspected miscarriages of justice. It can refer convictions to the Court of Appeal where it considers there is a “real possibility” it will be overturned. Since its inception, it has rejected over 97% of the applications it has considered.
4. Mr Malkinson is not presently available for interviews in addition to those already scheduled. Requests to interview APPEAL staff can be made by emailing charlotte@appeal.org.uk.
5. Mr Malkinson’s case was featured in aBBC documentary titled The Wrong Man: 17 Years Behind Bars, which was broadcast on BBC Two in June and can still be seen on iPlayer here. Requests to use extracts from the documentary, including Mr Malkinson discussing his experience of the CCRC can be made directly to Clips@bbc.co.uk, or can be lifted directly from this page: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001zywl. A clip of Mr Malkinson discussing the CCRC’s mishandling of his case can be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0j84xxz.