A new report by APPEAL exposes the hidden racist and classist intent behind the 1967 introduction of majority jury verdicts in England and Wales and finds links between majority verdicts and wrongful convictions. At least some ministerial support for the procedural change was rooted in concerns that unanimity was incompatible with the diversifying face of Britain. It took place within the backdrop of increasing public anxiety around immigration and anti-racist activism. The principle of jury unanimity – which insists that all 12 jurors must agree before a criminal conviction can be secured ..read more

PRESS RELEASE - APPEAL - 26 July 2023   APPEAL client Andrew Malkinson, who spent over 17 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, has won his two-decade long fight to clear his name.   Court of Appeal judges today quashed Mr Malkinson’s 2004 rape conviction, accepting new DNA evidence inculpating another man rendered it unsafe.   The Court is yet to decide whether they will also allow the appeal based on police disclosure failures which Mr Malkinson’s lawyers say could have prevented his wrongful conviction.   Mr Malkinson was convicted by a 10-2 majority jury verdi ..read more

If officers are capable of racism, sexual harassment, even rape and murder, would many turn a hair at surreptitiously withholding a document or destroying an exhibit if it means securing a sought-after conviction? In our experience, the answer is no. At APPEAL we uncover police hiding evidence to improve their chances of getting a conviction in the suspected wrongful conviction cases we work on and can say with certainty that it leads to miscarriages of justice and innocent people going to prison. So we were not surprised to see the findings of the recent Casey Review into the Met police, a ri ..read more

We are extremely pleased to announce that APPEAL’s new Co-Director is to be the renowned criminal defence lawyer and campaigner, Matt Foot.   Matt has been a defence solicitor at the law firm Birnberg Peirce for more than 17 years, building a reputation as one of the country’s top miscarriage of justice lawyers and acting in a number of high-profile criminal appeals, including those of Sam Hallam and Eddie Gilfoyle, as well as specialising in protest cases.     Alongside his legal practice, Matt has established himself as a leading voice in the fight to make the system fairer f ..read more

APPEAL’s client Josiane, whose public law case was a precursor to the BBC’s Gender Disparity Review 2023. Press release – 11 May 2023 – APPEAL and Leigh Day     On 11 May, the BBC published the findings of its review which was designed to understand why there is a significant gender disparity in the way that it prosecutes people who default on their TV Licence fee payment and find ways to mitigate the disparity.     The findings are that societal factors are largely responsible for the gender disparity. It proposes an Action Plan whi ..read more

Pauline and Ashley have for decades been fighting for justice in a case that saw their loved one convicted on a 10/2 jury verdict despite flimsy evidence. Credit: APPEAL To be convicted of a criminal offence in England and Wales, a prosecutor needs to persuade only 10 of 12 jurors that the defendant is guilty. This was not always the case. Prior to 1967, a unanimous verdict was required, meaning that all 12 jurors had to agree. A brief glance at Hansard’s parliamentary archives tells us that British ministers gave two justifications for this change to our jury system. First, to improve cost a ..read more

Press release from APPEAL and Leigh Day  The BBC has agreed to pay thousands in compensation to a lone parent who believes she was discriminated against when she was prosecuted by TV Licensing, who prosecute many more women than men every year. Josiane, a lone parent struggling with household bills, was prosecuted for not paying her TV Licence fee during the pandemic. Although the charges were dropped after she sought legal assistance from the law practice and charity APPEAL, she described the experience as “deeply stressful” causing her “sleepless nights”.   The statis ..read more

Press release – APPEAL and Silver Voices   A woman unfairly prosecuted for not paying her TV License has gathered strong public support this week for her campaign to end the prosecution of people who cannot afford to pay during the cost-of-living crisis.   Josiane, a lone parent in London who was struggling with household bills, was criminally prosecuted during the COVID-19 pandemic for not paying her TV License fee.   Knowing how frightened it made her feel, she became determined to help others in a similar position. She started a petition on change.org which this wee ..read more

Press Release – APPEAL – 5 August 2022 The Law Commission of England and Wales has today announced that it will launch a wide-ranging review of the laws governing appeals for criminal cases in England and Wales. APPEAL wholeheartedly welcomes this announcement, having campaigned for reform of the appeals system since its inception in 2014. We particularly welcome the Commission’s intention to engage those with lived experience of the issues. APPEAL has supported the findings of the Westminster Commission on Miscarriages of Justice, which echoed our calls for urgent improvements to the law on ..read more

I knew from a relatively early age that I wanted to practise law. It was the only profession that interested me - so I followed the path through university and into private practice. The Bar wasn’t an easy route - even then it was extremely difficult to fund the Bar Vocational Course and obtain a pupillage. A scholarship from Middle Temple helped, but it was gruelling. Fast forward 15 years and I had succeeded in getting tenancy and had the privilege of working with many outstanding colleagues at the Bar before settling into an in-house position with a busy criminal defence practice. Then the ..read more