Wrongly convicted men demand reform in England and Wales' compensation law to prevent more lives from being shattered.
Several individuals who were wrongly imprisoned for up to 38 years are now calling on the government to overhaul the country's compensation system, which they claim unfairly punishes those seeking justice. The law requires those exonerated by the court of appeal to prove their innocence "beyond reasonable doubt" in order to receive compensation, leaving many high-profile miscarriage of justice survivors without a safety net.
Justin Plummer, who spent 28 years behind bars for a murder he did not commit, expressed his frustration with the system. "It's ridiculous," he said during a meeting of the all-party parliamentary group on miscarriages of justice. "I've been through a minefield once, and now I'm thinking 'oh, plain sailing, I should be all right' – but no, it's not that simple." Plummer believes that compensation is essential for his mental health recovery.
The case of Oliver Campbell, who spent 11 years in jail for conspiracy to rob and murder before being cleared last year, highlights the complexities of the current system. His lawyer, Glyn Maddocks KC, argues that the requirement to prove innocence beyond reasonable doubt is "absurd." "How on earth can you do that?" he asked. "You don't have the resources of the police to investigate a crime from 1997 and find the culprit."
The lack of support for those who have been wrongfully convicted has sparked concerns about the government's commitment to justice. Peter Sullivan, who spent 38 years in prison before his murder conviction was quashed last year, is struggling to make ends meet despite being told he would receive compensation. His solicitor, Sarah Myatt, expressed her frustration that she and her clients are still waiting for answers.
The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment on the matter, but as yet, there is no response.
Several individuals who were wrongly imprisoned for up to 38 years are now calling on the government to overhaul the country's compensation system, which they claim unfairly punishes those seeking justice. The law requires those exonerated by the court of appeal to prove their innocence "beyond reasonable doubt" in order to receive compensation, leaving many high-profile miscarriage of justice survivors without a safety net.
Justin Plummer, who spent 28 years behind bars for a murder he did not commit, expressed his frustration with the system. "It's ridiculous," he said during a meeting of the all-party parliamentary group on miscarriages of justice. "I've been through a minefield once, and now I'm thinking 'oh, plain sailing, I should be all right' – but no, it's not that simple." Plummer believes that compensation is essential for his mental health recovery.
The case of Oliver Campbell, who spent 11 years in jail for conspiracy to rob and murder before being cleared last year, highlights the complexities of the current system. His lawyer, Glyn Maddocks KC, argues that the requirement to prove innocence beyond reasonable doubt is "absurd." "How on earth can you do that?" he asked. "You don't have the resources of the police to investigate a crime from 1997 and find the culprit."
The lack of support for those who have been wrongfully convicted has sparked concerns about the government's commitment to justice. Peter Sullivan, who spent 38 years in prison before his murder conviction was quashed last year, is struggling to make ends meet despite being told he would receive compensation. His solicitor, Sarah Myatt, expressed her frustration that she and her clients are still waiting for answers.
The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment on the matter, but as yet, there is no response.
they're saying people who spent decades in prison and got cleared only deserve compensation if they can prove their innocence beyond a shadow of a doubt? like what's that even supposed to mean? it's not exactly rocket science to find out who did the crime back then, is it? 
they need to overhaul this broken system ASAP so these people don't end up destitute after fighting for justice. i mean, 28 years in prison and they're still struggling to make ends meet? that's just wrong 
. Can you believe some people have to spend decades behind bars only to be told they can't get compensation because they didn't prove their innocence beyond a doubt 
We should be focusing on rehabilitation and making sure these folks get the help they need, not torturing them with bureaucracy 
. And to make matters worse, some of these guys are struggling to even afford basic necessities after being wrongfully imprisoned... it's just heartbreaking 
.
What's wrong with giving people a second chance? 
I feel so bad for these guys who went through hell and back and now they're struggling to get their lives back together. 38 years in prison is just plain cruel 
. Just some basic respect and compensation would be nice 
. These guys deserve better 
. 28 years? 11 years? That's a lifetime! How can you even begin to recover from that kind of trauma? The fact that they have to jump through hoops just to get some basic compensation is just... ugh 