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21 April 2021 / Dr Jon Robins
Issue: 7929 / Categories: Features , Criminal
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Rough (in)justice: the Oliver Campbell case

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Jon Robins reports on Oliver Campbell’s campaign to clear his name

Oliver Campbell was convicted of murder in 1991 and ended up serving 11 years in prison for a crime he always insisted had nothing to do with him. In July 1990, a shopkeeper was shot and killed in front of his son during a robbery of his off-licence on the Lower Clapton Road in Hackney, East London.

Witnesses agreed that the two men who carried out the robbery were black and around 5ft 10 inches tall. Oliver Campbell was sentenced to life despite being 6ft 3 inches and his co-accused admitting to the robbery, providing a written account identifying the killer and confirming that Campbell had nothing to do with the murder. The jury was never told of this account.

Vulnerability

Over the years, Campbell’s campaign to clear his name has gained momentum. In 2002, Kirsty Wark presented a BBC Rough Justice investigation into the case which highlighted the vulnerability of suspects with severe learning difficulties in police

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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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