CCRC sends five more Post Office cases to the Crown Court for appeal

29 Apr 2024 12:51 PM

Five more Post Office cases have been referred to the Crown Court by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) due to concerns about the discredited Horizon computer system.

The CCRC has referred these cases while awaiting UK Government legislation on Post Office Horizon cases to come into effect, so existing applications from Post Office workers can be reviewed as quickly as possible by the courts.  

The CCRC has now sent 76 Post Office cases back to the courts. 

The CCRC can still refer Post Offices cases to the courts until the legislation comes into effect, but if a case is referred by us to the Court of Appeal and the appeal is rejected, the applicant will then not be covered by the proposed legislation. This isn’t the case with Crown Court referrals. 

We are committed to helping those who are a potential victim of a miscarriage of justice and would encourage people to apply.   

Notes to Editors:

  1. ‘Ms F’ has been anonymised due to concerns for her welfare.  
  2. The CCRC is an independent body set up under the Criminal Appeal Act 1995. It is responsible for independently reviewing suspected and alleged miscarriages of criminal justice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is based in Birmingham and is funded by the Ministry of Justice.     
  3. There are currently 10 Commissioners who bring to the CCRC considerable experience from a wide variety of backgrounds. Commissioners are appointed by the Monarch on the recommendation of the Prime Minister in accordance with the Office for the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ Code of Practice.  The Chairman, who is also a Commissioner, is not involved in the casework decision-making process.     
  4. The CCRC usually receives around 1,600 applications for reviews (convictions and/or sentences) each year. Since starting work in 1997, the CCRC has referred around 3% of applications to the appeal courts.     
  5. The CCRC considers whether, as a result of new evidence or argument, there is a real possibility that the conviction would not be upheld were a reference to be made. New evidence or argument is argument or evidence which has not been raised during the trial or on appeal.  Applicants should usually have appealed first. A case can be referred in the absence of new evidence or argument or an earlier appeal only if there are “exceptional circumstances”.     
  6. If a case is referred, it is then for the appeal court to decide whether the conviction is unsafe or the sentence unfair.    
  7. More details about the role and work of the Criminal Cases Review Commission can be found at www.ccrc.gov.uk. The CCRC can be found on Twitter @ccrcupdate.