The Lord Chancellor has asked Dame Vera to undertake an urgent review into the running of the CCRC, to restore public confidence and ensure lessons have been learned from the handling of previous cases.
Dame Vera said: ‘It is vital the public can have confidence in an organisation whose constitutional importance is so central to a fair and just system.’
Former CCRC chair Helen Pitcher resigned in January amid concerns about the CCRC’s handling of the case of Andrew Malkinson, who was wrongfully convicted and spent 17 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.
A CCRC spokesperson said: ‘Dame Vera brings decades of experience in the criminal justice system and a strong commitment to ensuring justice for all. Everyone at the CCRC looks forward to working with her to continue our mission to find, investigate and send potential miscarriages of justice back to the courts.’
