Overview
- Karen Kneller resigned as chief executive of the Criminal Cases Review Commission on July 2 following sustained criticism of her handling of the Andrew Malkinson miscarriage of justice.
- The Lord Chancellor appointed Dame Vera Baird as interim chair and Amanda Pearce as interim chief executive to guide the commission through its leadership transition.
- A Commons Justice Committee report labelled the CCRC’s leadership “incompetent” over delays in securing DNA evidence that could have freed Malkinson ten years earlier.
- The commission has launched audits of thousands of past referrals after reports of procedural shortcomings and fully remote working policies that alarmed MPs.
- The leadership shake-up follows a comprehensive review designed to revamp casework procedures and restore public trust in the UK’s justice watchdog.