Women who have been unfairly convicted or sentenced to jail are being denied the chance to redress miscarriages of justice because the appeals system in England and Wales is not fit for purpose, the law group Appeal has alleged as reported by the Guardian.  I

Wessex Solicitors are always here.

Crimeline has reported a reduction in prisoner numbers. 

The Lord Chief Justice has stated that the current COVID19 situation can properly be taken into account when deciding whether to suspend a sentence. 

A government scheme to release prisoners early to help jails deal with coronavirus has been suspended after six offenders were freed by mistake. The inmates were mistakenly let out of two open prisons in Gloucestershire and Derbyshire, and a young offenders institution in south-east London.

Prosecutors have been told to think carefully about the pressures that Covid-19 is placing on the criminal justice system when they make charging decisions. Fresh guidance published by the Crown Prosecution Service yesterday states that serious cases should be prioritised to manage the impact of the pandemic and all options should be explored for less serious offences. Max Hill QC, director of public prosecutions, said the public should be confident that justice will be done ‘but we cannot ignore the unprecedented challenge facing the criminal justice system’.