Criminal Cases Review Commission
 Printable version
|
 E-mail this to a friend
|
Richard Foster CBE appointed as new Chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission
Richard Foster CBE has been appointed as the new Chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
The appointment by Her Majesty was announced to Parliament today by the Lord Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Justice.
The appointment is for a period of five years.
Mr Foster is the third Chair of the CCRC since it was set up in 1997 as the independent body responsible for reviewing suspected miscarriages of justice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
He said: "I am delighted to have been appointed to the chair of a body such as ours which plays so important a part in the criminal justice system.
"An independent judiciary, liberty under the rule of law, the presumption of innocence, the right to a fair trial and the right of those who believe they have been wrongly convicted to have their voices heard and their cases independently reviewed and, if appropriate, referred to the appeal court, are the hallmarks of our liberal democracy.
"I may have only just arrived but already I have a sense that the CCRC is a tremendous organisation with a very dedicated team.
"I'm now looking forward to getting down to work."
Mr Foster was Chief Executive of the Crown Prosecution Service from 2001 to 2007 and is a trustee of the Refugee Council. He was Director, Welfare to Work Delivery, responsible for New Deals from 1998 to 2001 and prior to that he was a Director of the Employment Service in the Department for Education and Employment.
He was also First Secretary (Stockholm) with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from 1981 to 1984 and a former Principal Private Secretary to the Minister of State, Department of Employment.
Mr Foster was educated at Devonport High School for Boys and at Pembroke College, Cambridge, and is married with two children.
His appointment to the Chair of the CCRC was made in accordance with the guidance issued by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Administration.
This press release was issued by Justin Hawkins, Head of Communication, Criminal Cases Review Commission, on 0121 633 1806
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The Criminal Cases Review Commission is an independent body set up under the Criminal Appeal Act 1995. It is responsible for 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.
2. There are 11 Commissioners who bring to the Commission considerable experience from a wide variety of backgrounds. Commissioners are appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the Prime Minister in accordance with the Office for the Commissioner for Public Appointments' Code of Practice.
3. The Commission receives around 1,000 applications for reviews (convictions and/or sentences) each year. Typically, around 4%, or one in 25, of all applications are referred to the appeal courts.
4. The Commission 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".
5. If a case is referred, it is then for the appeal court to decide whether the conviction is unsafe or the sentence unfair.
