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Times
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Times
Criminal cases review boss resigns after miscarriages of justice
The boss of the beleaguered miscarriages of justice watchdog has resigned just weeks after acknowledging that she was in the office only 'one or two days every couple of months'. Karen Kneller, the chief executive of the Criminal Cases Review Commission, became the first high-profile scalp after Dame Vera Baird KC was appointed to chair the organisation last month. Baird, a former Labour solicitor-general, had publicly stated that she was unhappy with the commission's wider failings — most notably around the handling of the case of Andrew Malkinson, whose conviction was quashed in 2023 after he served 17 years in prison for a rape he did not commit. Thousands of cases are being reviewed in the wake of the bungled handling of that case. But Baird was also understood to be concerned with working practices at the commission after Kneller told MPs on the justice committee in April that senior managers and other staff worked almost exclusively remotely. In a statement on Wednesday, the commission said that Kneller, a barrister who joined the watchdog in 2005 and was promoted to chief executive eight years later, had resigned from her £125,000 role. Amanda Pearce, the CCRC casework director, has been appointed interim chief executive. Pearce had also acknowledged to MPs that she worked predominantly remotely. The statement added that the justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, had asked Baird to review the organisation. The chairwoman said: 'The CCRC has a vital role to play in the criminal justice system, but confidence in the organisation has been badly damaged. Confidence in our work must be restored.' Kneller had also faced criticism for the organisation's handling of the Malkinson case. In a report looking at the processes, Chris Henley KC criticised the organisation for deciding in 2012, eight years after Malkinson's conviction, that fresh DNA evidence did not meet the legal test for referring his case for appeal. Referring to that report, Kneller told MPs on the committee that 'without doubt we got that case wrong' and that Malkinson had been 'failed' by her organisation. At the time, she told MPs: 'Everyone in the organisation deeply regrets what happened. I can't begin to think of the impact this has had on him. The double impact of being a victim of a miscarriage of justice and then the way we handled his case.' Matt Foot, the co-director of the campaign group, Appeal, which supported Malkinson, said a 'long-overdue resignation is a necessary first step in tackling the obstructive culture at the CCRC, which has stood in the way of justice for far too long'. Foot added that 'ultimately, a completely fresh senior leadership team — with a track record of challenging injustice — is required for the CCRC to become effective.' Kneller's resignation will potentially pose further questions over the viability of the commission as it came six months after the previous chairwoman, Helen Pitcher, quit before she was widely expected to be sacked by the justice secretary. When she resigned in January, Pitcher told The Times that she had been unfairly ousted from the commission over the Malkinson scandal, and said that 'a head had to roll and I was chosen for that role'. She questioned why she was the 'only target' given that Malkinson's case involved egregious failings by other bodies, including police who withheld evidence. Pitcher, 66, said: 'I was made a scapegoat for decisions largely made before I got involved in this organisation. In the inquiries that followed, I was not given the chance to properly defend myself. I shudder to think why anyone would want to go into public life on that basis.'
Sky News
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Criminal Cases Review Commission boss steps down in wake of Andrew Malkinson case
The chief executive of the body that examines miscarriages of justice has resigned as the watchdog tries to rebuild public confidence in the wake of the Andrew Malkinson case. Karen Kneller's resignation from the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) comes after former chairwoman Helen Pitcher stepped down in January, claiming she had been scapegoated over Mr Malkinson 's case. He was wrongly convicted of rape and spent 17 years in jail in one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British legal history. Last month, former victims Commissioner Dame Vera Baird became the interim chairwoman of the CCRC, having been asked by the Lord Chancellor to carry out a review of the organisation. She said: "The CCRC has a vital role to play in the criminal justice system, but confidence in the organisation has been badly damaged. Confidence in our work must be restored. "I thank Karen for her work at the CCRC over many years." Amanda Pearce, who is CCRC casework operations director, has been appointed interim chief executive, a position that had been held by Ms Kneller since 2013. The CCRC - an independent public body that reviews possible miscarriages of justice in the criminal courts of England, Wales and Northern Ireland and refers cases to the appeal courts - has had four critical reviews in the last 10 years. Mr Malkinson was knocked back twice by the CCRC until his legal team carried out crucial DNA testing that was then repeated by the commission and led to his release. A review found that he could have been released 10 years earlier if the CCRC had obtained new DNA evidence as early as 2009, and thousands of cases are being reviewed in the wake of the bungled handling of the case. In May, the Commons Justice Committee also warned that the position of chief executive Ms Kneller was no longer tenable. MPs said in a report that it followed "unpersuasive" evidence from her on the CCRC's challenges and response to public criticisms in April, and concerns on the performance of the review body.
The Independent
02-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Chief executive of miscarriage of justice review body resigns
The chief executive of a miscarriage of justice review body has resigned amid attempts to rebuild public confidence in the organisation. Karen Kneller, who had held the position since 2013, has left her job at the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), it was announced on Wednesday. Last month former victims Commissioner Dame Vera Baird became the interim chairwoman of the CCRC, having been asked by the Lord Chancellor to carry out a review of the organisation. The CCRC had been heavily criticised for its handling of the Andrew Malkinson case, one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British legal history. Ms Kneller's resignation came after former chairwoman Helen Pitcher resigned in January, but claimed she had been scapegoated over the Malkinson case. Dame Vera said: 'The CCRC has a vital role to play in the criminal justice system, but confidence in the organisation has been badly damaged. Confidence in our work must be restored. 'I thank Karen for her work at the CCRC over many years.' Amanda Pearce, who is CCRC casework operations director, has been appointed interim chief executive. Mr Malkinson served 17 years in prison for a rape he did not commit, and was knocked back twice by the CCRC until his legal team carried out crucial DNA testing that was then repeated by the commission and led to his release. A review found that he could have been released 10 years earlier if the CCRC had obtained new DNA evidence as early as 2009, and thousands of cases are being reviewed in the wake of the bungled handling of the case. In May, the Commons Justice Committee also warned that the position of the current chief executive of the CCRC, Karen Kneller, was no longer tenable. MPs said in a report it followed 'unpersuasive' evidence from her on the CCRC's challenges and response to public criticisms in April, and concerns on the performance of the review body.
BBC News
02-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Criminal Cases Review Commission: Chair of miscarriage of justice body quits
The head of the body responsible for investigating potential miscarriage of justices in England, Wales and Northern Ireland has resigned following months of criticism. Karen Kneller stood down as chief executive of the Criminal Cases Review Commission on Wednesday after 12 years in the had been calls for her to resign when the CCRC admitted "failing" Andrew Malkinson, who spent 17 years in prison for a crime he did not commit despite serious concerns the evidence against him was May, the justice select committee said the organisation had shown an "inability to learn from its own mistakes" on Kneller's has not commented since her departure was confirmed. Dame Vera Baird, who was appointed chair of the CCRC last month and tasked with leading a review, said: "The CCRC has a vital role to play in the criminal justice system, but confidence in the organisation has been badly damaged. "Confidence in our work must be restored."Amanda Pearce, casework operations director at the CCRC, has been appointed interim chief executive. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.
The Guardian
02-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Criminal Cases Review Commission chief resigns
The chief executive of a miscarriage of justice review body has resigned amid attempts to rebuild public confidence in the organisation. Karen Kneller, who had held the position since 2013, has left her job at the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), it was announced on Wednesday. Last month former victims commissioner Dame Vera Baird became the interim chair of the CCRC, having been asked by the lord chancellor to carry out a review of the organisation. The CCRC had been heavily criticised for its handling of the Andrew Malkinson case, one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British legal history. Kneller's resignation came after former chair Helen Pitcher resigned in January, but claimed she had been scapegoated over the Malkinson case. Baird said: 'The CCRC has a vital role to play in the criminal justice system, but confidence in the organisation has been badly damaged. Confidence in our work must be restored. 'I thank Karen for her work at the CCRC over many years.' Amanda Pearce, who is CCRC casework operations director, has been appointed interim chief executive. Malkinson served 17 years in prison for a rape he did not commit, and was knocked back twice by the CCRC until his legal team carried out crucial DNA testing that was then repeated by the commission and led to his release. A review found that he could have been released 10 years earlier if the CCRC had obtained new DNA evidence as early as 2009, and thousands of cases are being reviewed in the wake of the bungled handling of the case. In May, the Commons justice committee said Kneller's position was no longer tenable. MPs said in a report it followed 'unpersuasive' evidence from her on the CCRC's challenges and response to public criticisms in April, and concerns on the performance of the review body.
