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05 May 2021 / Dr Jon Robins
Issue: 7931 / Categories: Opinion , Criminal
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Post Office: far from the end of the road?

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The Post Office scandal is just one example of miscarriage of justice in a system which is no longer fit for purpose, says Jon Robins

The success of the former sub-postmasters in the Court of Appeal last month has been described as ‘the biggest miscarriage of justice in British legal history’. Each of those 39 wrongful convictions represents years of untold misery for the individuals concerned, as well as for their loved ones. Many lost their homes, livelihoods, health and, in some cases, their liberty.

One case among many

It can take years for a miscarriage of justice to unravel, and all too often an injustice is seemingly revealed never to be corrected; in that respect, the sub-postmasters have been ‘lucky’. Shortly after the appeal judges gave their momentous judgment, it was reported that a man who spent 17 years in jail protesting his innocence had won a major step forward in his fight to clear his name.

Andrew Malkinson, whose case was championed by

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NEWS
The Law Society RFC Festival of Sport returns next month, bringing together legal and financial services professionals for one of the sector’s largest annual sporting events
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners

Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.

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