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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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MOVERS & SHAKERS

London Solicitors Litigation Association—John McElroy

London Solicitors Litigation Association—John McElroy

Fieldfisher partner appointed president as LSLA marks milestone year

Kingsley Napley—Kirsty Churm & Olivia Stiles

Kingsley Napley—Kirsty Churm & Olivia Stiles

Firm promotes two lawyers to partnership across employment and family

Foot Anstey—five promotions

Foot Anstey—five promotions

Firm promotes five lawyers to partnership across key growth areas

NEWS
Freezing orders in divorce proceedings can unexpectedly ensnare third parties and disrupt businesses. In NLJ this week, Lucy James of Trowers & Hamlins explains how these orders—dubbed a ‘nuclear weapon’—preserve assets but can extend far beyond spouses to companies and business partners 
A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified that ‘rent’ must be monetary—excluding tenants paid in labour from statutory protection. In this week's NLJ, James Naylor explains Garraway v Phillips, where a tenant worked two days a week instead of paying rent
Thousands more magistrates are to be recruited, under a major shake-up to speed up and expand the hiring process
Three men wrongly imprisoned for a combined 77 years have been released—yet received ‘not a penny’ in compensation, exposing deep flaws in the justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Jon Robins reports on Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan, whose convictions collapsed amid discredited forensics, ‘oppressive’ police interviews and unreliable ‘cell confessions’
A quiet month for employment cases still delivers key legal clarifications. In his latest Employment Law Brief for NLJ, Ian Smith reports that whistleblowing protection remains intact even where disclosures are partly self-serving, provided the worker reasonably believes they serve the ‘public interest’ 
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