Andrew Malkinson ‘not finished' fighting for reform after wrongful conviction
The 59-year-old had his conviction overturned in 2023 after years protesting his innocence.
Mr Malkinson, who told The Sunday Times his 'life was desolated' by the wrongful conviction, says he is determined to change the justice system, starting with the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).
'I haven't finished. I want to change a lot more,' he said.
'It's a good feeling that something so dreadful and tragic is leading to real change.'
It comes amid news Dame Vera Baird KC will become the interim chairwoman of the CCRC.
The barrister will take up the post from June 9 until December 8 next year, and is tasked with carrying out an urgent review into the running of the independent body and making sure lessons have been learnt from previous cases.
Mr Malkinson said he remained 'incandescent' at the CCRC, as well as the Government's compensation scheme, which makes it difficult for wrongly-convicted people to receive payouts.
'This is an assault on innocent people,' he said.
'It's an assault on the public, because any member of the public could end up where I was. Anybody could be the next victim, because there will be more.'
Despite having his conviction quashed in 2023, he had to wait until February to get his first compensation payment.
Mr Malkinson had been living on benefits and food banks from his release until then.
Under the 2014 Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, payments are only awarded to people who can prove innocence beyond a reasonable doubt.
Ministry of Justice data showed that only 6.5% of people who had applied for compensation due to a miscarriage of justice between April 2016 and March 2024 were awarded payouts. Of 591 people who applied, 39 were granted compensation.
Figures showed that 35 have since received money, with average amounts totalling £68,000.
In a statement in February, lawyer Toby Wilton welcomed the payment, but said the £1 million cap on compensation payouts should be lifted.
This is currently the maximum amount that can be paid to victims of miscarriages of justice who are wrongly jailed for at least 10 years.
'The Government should lift the current cap on compensation, and end the twisted quirk that whilst awards under other compensation schemes are excluded from assessment for benefits,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
18 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Police arrest dozens of protesters for supporting banned Palestine Action including vicar after activists' vows to go 'floppy' - a week after priest, 83, was among 29 seized
Police have today arrested more than 70 protesters for supporting newly banned terrorist organisation Palestine Action. A vicar was among at least 42 people detained by Scotland Yard officers as activists gathered for a second week in a row beside a statue of Gandhi in London 's Parliament Square, holding placards reading: 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.' Another 16 arrests were made in Manchester and 13 people were also held in Cardiff at other related demonstrations on Saturday. A briefing document circulated to activists ahead of the action told protesters to 'go floppy' when they are arrested as it 'adds to the visual drama', reported The Telegraph. Five officers were today seen carrying one tattooed protester by her arms and legs, with one supporting her head. Some demonstrators could be seen lying on top of each other on the floor as police searched their bags and took their ID cards and handmade signs. Officers could then be seen carrying away a number of protesters who were lying down, lifting them off the ground and into waiting police vans parked around the square. Other standing protesters were also led away from the statues and placed into the vans. The last of the protesters was lifted from the Nelson Mandela statue shortly after 2.30pm. Those held were of mixed ages, from their 20s to 70s and many said they had jobs and had been arrested before. Officers could then be seen carrying away a number of protesters who were lying down, lifting them off the ground and into waiting police vans parked around the square. Other standing protesters were also led away from the statues and placed into the vans. The offences mainly related to Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000, an officer said. One protester, an architect called Steve, 59, said: 'I'm terrified. But some things in this world are bigger than fear of arrest. I will do whatever it takes to highlight this problem. 'They (the police) can do whatever they want. I don't care.' This Saturday is the second weekend Palestine Action supporters have protested and been arrested. A small group of protesters sat at the steps of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square for the demonstration, organised by campaign group Defend Our Juries, shortly after 1pm and received a brief applause. The individuals then wrote the message 'I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action' with black markers on pieces of cardboard and silently held the signs aloft, surrounded by Metropolitan Police officers, who formed a cordon, and members of the media. A number of demonstrators were carried away by police by their legs and arms after refusing to walk. A social care worker, who gave her name as Kate, 42, was taken away by police as demonstrators shouted 'free free Palestine around her'. Several people were arrested at Parliament Square in London for supporting newly banned terrorist organisation Palestine Action Around ten people in Parliament Square were held by a group of Met Officers next to a statue of Gandhi after they held placards which said: 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action' Officers could be seen carrying away a number of protesters who were lying down, lifting them off the ground and into waiting police vans parked around the square Others yelled 'from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free' - a controversial chant which some say is a call for Israel not to exist. Kate was holding a sign which said: 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.' She said: 'It's shocking. I'm terrified. But the greater risk is genocide. That's more important. I don't have a phone. I've never been arrested before. 'I can't work because I've been trouble before connected to these activities. 'I was in social care. I had a good job. Nobody will employ me now. They'll think I'm a terrorist after this as well.' An elderly man - believed to be in his 70s - looked visibly unwell as he was taken into the back of a police van. A woman in her 40s was also taken away. Scotland Yard said its stance remains that officers will act where criminal offences, including support of proscribed groups or organisations, are committed. A spokesperson for the Met police said: 'We are responding to a protest in support of Palestine Action. Officers are in the process of making arrests.' This is the second round of protests in London in support of Palestinian Action and the group have said they will continue to take to Parliament Square every week. Last Saturday police arrested almost 30 people on suspicion of terrorism offences after protesters gathered in Parliament Square also holding signs supporting Palestine Action, just hours after a ban on the came into effect. One of those arrested was an 83-year-old priest and the Met said: 'The law doesn't have an age limit'. Around two dozen people, including a priest, professor and an emergency care worker who is just back from Gaza, sat in front of the Gandhi statue in Parliament Square on Saturday expressing support for the group, which is now a proscribed terrorist organisation. They held signs saying: 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.' Shortly after their arrival, police officers could be seen engaging with the protesters and the Met said it had began making arrests. Several people were seen being carried away by officers. A spokesperson for the force said: 'Officers are responding to a protest in support of Palestine Action in Parliament Square. 'The group is now proscribed and expressing support for them is a criminal offence. Arrests are being made.' They later added: 'A total of 29 arrests were made during this afternoon's protest in support of Palestine Action in Parliament Square. They remain in custody.' It comes after the Home Office today last week the ban on Palestine Action, with the group failing to block its proscription as a terrorist organisation in a late-night legal bid. Lawyers representing co-founder Huda Ammori, whose father is Palestinian, asked for the decision to be delayed at least until July 21. The designation as a terror group means that membership of or support for Palestine Action is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. This includes chanting, wearing clothing or displaying articles such as flags, signs or logos. Palestine Action argues it is a protest group that has never incited or encouraged violence, but does support civil disobedience. Activists protest against the continuing war in Gaza, which has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians since October 7 - when 1,200 Israelis were killed by a Hamas incursion into the country. One of those protesting last week is former government lawyer Tim Crosland. He said: 'There are already 18 Palestine Actionists held in UK prisons without a trial, following lobbying by the Israeli government and Elbit Systems, the leading supplier of the machinery of genocide. 'If we cannot speak freely about the genocide of Palestinians, if we cannot condemn those who enable it and praise those who resist it, then the right to freedom of expression has no meaning, and democracy in this country is dead.' In a post shared on X, Defend Our Juries said the protesters had been arrested 'for holding cardboard signs' and that further arrests had been made at the Manchester demonstration. Scotland Yard said its stance remains that officers will act where criminal offences, including support of proscribed groups or organisations, are committed. The force added that this includes 'chanting, wearing clothing or displaying articles such as flags, signs or logos'. The terror group designation means that membership of, or support for, Palestine Action is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The move to ban the organisation came after two Voyager aircraft were damaged at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on June 20, an incident claimed by Palestine Action, which police said caused about £7 million worth of damage. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans to proscribe Palestine Action, saying that the vandalism of the planes was 'disgraceful' and the group had a 'long history of unacceptable criminal damage'.
North Wales Chronicle
19 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
‘Stop the excuses' and recognise state of Palestine, SNP tells UK government
The party's comments follow a speech by French President Emmanuel Macron during his recent state visit to the UK, in which he said recognising the state of Palestine was 'the only path to peace'. The SNP also called on the UK Government to stop the sale of arms to Israel, saying that failure by the Government to 'use the power it has' to end the conflict in Gaza would make it 'totally complicit' in what it called a 'slaughter'. SNP Middle East spokesman Brendan O'Hara MP said that if the UK Government 'could muster just a shred of conviction and courage they would have the power to act'. He went on: 'After witnessing another week of slaughter, the Labour Party could, and should, begin this new week by taking two concrete steps,' he said. 'They should start this new week by finally stopping all arms sales to Israel and finally recognising the state of Palestine. 'President Macron was crystal clear that he is preparing to join other European nations in recognising the state of Palestine and that he is pressing the UK to join this 'political momentum' towards a ceasefire and a permanent peace. 'Keir Starmer should stop the excuses and join him in recognising the state of Palestine without any more damaging delays. 'That would send the clearest of signals that we are prepared to protect and guarantee the right of the Palestinian people to their own homeland – and that all diplomatic levers will be used to prevent any plan that effectively proposes ethnic cleansing in Gaza. 'It is also blindingly obvious that anyone claiming to support a two-state solution must back immediate recognition of Palestine, otherwise their words ring hollow. 'If after this week Westminster stays sitting on its hands and fails to use the power it has to act, then they will be totally complicit in giving the (Benjamin) Netanyahu government impunity to commit week upon week of slaughter, even deadlier than the one Palestinians have just suffered.' The party pointed out that 144 members of the UN, including Ireland, Spain and Norway, have already moved to recognise Palestine. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said earlier this week that the UK Government remained 'completely committed' to recognition, but refused to set a time frame for it, saying it was a 'moving, live situation'. A FCDO spokesperson said: 'From day one we have taken decisive action – suspending relevant export licences, suspending trade negotiations, restarting UNRWA funding, sanctioning Israeli Ministers, providing aid to hundreds of thousands of civilians, and using our position on the UN Security Council to demand the end of this war and the full resumption of aid into Gaza. 'We continue working with international partners to end Palestinian suffering, free the hostages and secure lasting Middle East peace.'
North Wales Chronicle
19 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Antisemitism an ‘urgent issue' for all of British society, Penny Mordaunt warns
The former Conservative minister joined Lord John Mann, the Government's antisemitism adviser, in chairing an independent commission on antisemitism on behalf of the Board of Deputies, Britain's largest Jewish community organisation. Writing in the Telegraph newspaper, the pair described themselves as 'hard-nosed politicians' who are 'used to dealing with the extremes of human emotions and catastrophe'. But they added: 'Even with decades of these experiences, we were still stunned into silence by the evidence that we received as independent chairs of the Board of Deputies Commission on Antisemitism, particularly from young people in the Jewish community.' 'This is an urgent issue not just for the Jewish community but for the United Kingdom as a whole,' the pair added. They also said: 'We are all harmed if we tolerate the abuse of some of our fellow citizens by those who hold warped or extreme views.' Their warnings of growing antisemitic prejudices across British society, from the NHS to arts organisations and the police, comes as the report they authored is set to be published on Tuesday. Among its recommendations are that the NHS should hold a summit to tackle the 'specific unaddressed issue of antisemitism' within the health service. Lord Mann and former defence secretary Dame Penny set out 10 recommendations calling for educators, public services and trade unions to do more to tackle antisemitism. Among them was a recommendation for every NHS trust to have 'basic training on contemporary antisemitism'. They stated: 'From evidence that we heard, we can identify that there is a specific unaddressed issue of antisemitism within the NHS. We recommend that a summit should be held with NHS leaders across the UK to begin to address this.' They noted an 'identifiable lack of consistency and capacity in antisemitism training' and recommended the creation of a specific antisemitism training qualification, adding that such training should be included within equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in organisations and institutions. Efforts to teach primary school teachers how to avoid passing on antisemitism and anti-Jewish tropes in their lessons should be rolled out in faith schools across the UK, the commission said. It added that professional organisations and trade unions should ensure that all Jewish members are treated equally and with respect, while there must be a consistent approach taken by police when dealing with antisemitic crimes. The commission said it had seen evidence of 'hidden barriers being put in front of Jewish involvement within the arts' and said there must always be a 'robust response for those who choose to discriminate and government at every level should ensure this'. Lord Mann said: 'It is unacceptable that the Jewish community has faced an onslaught of antisemitism since October 7th. 'Whilst this is not new, the commission heard shocking experiences that we will not ignore. Antisemitism is racism and it must be treated as such. We hope these recommendations will provide additional guidance and action for civil society.' Dame Penny said: 'No person should face abuse or discrimination whilst going about their business, whether it is pursuing the career of their choice or accessing public services. 'We wanted to suggest some very practical things that can be dealt with swiftly and will dramatically improve people's experiences.' Board of Deputies president Phil Rosenberg said: 'Overall, the challenge in civil society can be summarised as one of a failure to apply the protections rightly afforded to different vulnerable groups equally to Jewish people in the same positions. 'Many sectors promote strong Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) processes, which are very important, but too often, these protections seem to exclude Jews.' He said the board will insist that 'Jews must count' and will use the recommendations of the commission's report 'to ensure that they do'. An NHS spokesperson said: 'It is completely unacceptable for anyone to experience racism, discrimination or prejudice in the health service, whether staff or patient, and the NHS takes any instance of antisemitism or discrimination extremely seriously. 'The NHS provides care and treatment for everyone regardless of race, faith, or background and all NHS healthcare providers should have policies in place to address issues like this in the workplace.'
