
Lucy Letby hospital managers ‘to call for end to baby deaths inquiry'
Former managers at Lucy Letby's hospital are expected to call for the public inquiry into her crimes to be halted, arguing that there is a real chance that her convictions will be overturned.
The Thirlwall Inquiry is investigating how Letby's actions might have been prevented if bosses at the Countess of Chester Hospital and outside agencies had acted faster.
The former neonatal nurse is serving 15 full life terms for the murders of seven infants and the attempted murders of seven others.
However the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) is now investigating whether there has been a potential miscarriage of justice.
Lady Justice Thirlwall, who is chairing the Thirlwall Inquiry, asked barristers representing parties to address her on Monday during closing submissions about whether the inquiry should be paused.
The legal team representing former managers at the Countess of Chester is expected to submit that continuing the inquiry without considering the alternative hypotheses being looked at by the CCRC would be a breach of the duty to act fairly under the Inquiries Act.
It comes as protestors gathered outside Liverpool Town Hall, where the hearing is taking place, to protest against Letby's convictions.
Barristers representing the families are expected to argue that the managers are trying to absolve themselves of blame.

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The Independent
10 hours ago
- The Independent
Court of Appeal should uphold nurse's convictions, judges told
The Court of Appeal should uphold the convictions of a nurse who was jailed for the murders of four elderly patients, lawyers for the Crown Prosecution Service have told the court. Colin Campbell, formerly known as Colin Norris, was found guilty in 2008 of killing four women and attempting to kill a fifth by injecting them with insulin. Doris Ludlam, Bridget Bourke, Irene Crookes, and Ethel Hall, were inpatients on orthopaedic wards where Campbell worked in Leeds in 2002 before they developed severe, unexplained hypoglycaemia and died. Prosecutors relied on a 'wholly circumstantial' case, the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) said after referring the case to the Court of Appeal in London four years ago. Campbell denied any wrongdoing and said he did nothing to cause hypoglycaemia in any of the patients. He unsuccessfully appealed against his conviction in 2009 and applied to the CCRC in 2011. On the final day of Campbell's appeal in London on Friday, judges heard closing submissions from barristers representing the Crown Prosecution Service, who are opposing the appeal. In written submissions, James Curtis KC said the jury in Campbell's trial had the 'exceptional assistance of a meticulous, systematic and detailed summing up' from the judge. He added: 'They were provided with the necessary relevant facts and issues, from a plethora of highly qualified and clinically experienced witnesses. 'The judge carefully summarised and explained these, and accurately directed the jury as to how to approach them.' Michael Mansfield KC told the court on Thursday that Campbell's appeal is a 'straightforward case', and that judges 'must conclude that these convictions are unsafe'. The appeal before Lady Justice Macur, Sir Stephen Irwin and Mr Justice Picken is due to conclude later on Friday.


Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
Miscarriage of justice watchdog ‘incompetent', says new boss
The watchdog that investigates miscarriages of justice is 'incompetent', the organisation's new chairman has said. Dame Vera Baird, a former solicitor general and victims' commissioner, said she would be carrying out a root-and-branch review of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), of which she has been appointed interim chair. The CCRC has been heavily criticised for its role in the scandal of Andrew Malkinson, whose case it failed to refer to the Court of Appeal despite evidence that he had been wrongly convicted of rape. Mr Malkinson was cleared 17 years after being jailed, but could have been freed years earlier if the CCRC had not rejected two applications on cost-benefit grounds. Dame Vera said the CCRC was 'negative' in its approach when it should be 'bold', and had subsequently shown itself to be 'incapable of learning from mistakes'. She told Sky News: 'They don't communicate with applicants, are reluctant to challenge the Court of Appeal, they look for reasons not to refer rather than to refer and are quite often incompetent.' 'I didn't find her impressive' The previous chair, Helen Pitcher, was forced to resign in January, and MPs have expressed deep reservations over Karen Kneller, the current chief executive, saying it was 'no longer tenable' for her to continue in post. Dame Vera, who has also been a police and crime commissioner, said she would be meeting Ms Kneller next week when she starts her post and 'discussing her position'. She was not impressed by Ms Kneller's evidence to the Commons justice committee, which expressed concern that she may have misled it. 'I didn't find her impressive,' said Dame Vera. 'I was really quite concerned about, first of all, the kind of fairly sketchy way in which she even allowed that they got it wrong in Malkinson, and these assertions that she was sorry that people only judged them by the mistakes, and they all took them very seriously, but actually they were otherwise doing a very good job. 'My fear is that the attitude in the case of Malkinson and others, points to there being an attitude that's not positive, that's not mission-driven, that is not go-getter in other cases. So, are they getting it done properly?' 'A complex task' She said there needed to be a complete rethink over how the CCRC operated, including ending its full work-from-home regime where even executives come into the office only 'one or two days every couple of months'. 'They need to be bold, they need to be mission-driven,' said Dame Vera. 'It is in my mind that this policy of 'remote first' must change. Obviously there will be people who have just had a baby who cannot do it but I completely agree that [you need to come into the office] for esprit de corps, team spirit.' In February, the CCRC received an application from Lucy Letby, the former nurse convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others, following concerns that a miscarriage of justice may have taken place. Asked whether she thought the CCRC could deal with it, Dame Vera said: 'Remember I'm quite new to it. It will need complexity. It will need a team. It will need the readiness to commission reports, I would guess from what's been said about the lack of scientific value in some of the things that were asserted. 'So it's going to be a very complex task.'


Sky News
2 days ago
- Sky News
New miscarriage of justice watchdog chair calls leadership 'unimpressive'
The watchdog that examines potential miscarriages of justice has "unimpressive" leadership and is "incompetent", said its new chair as she takes up her role. Dame Vera Baird has been appointed to head up the Criminal Case Review Commission (CCRC), which currently has serial child killer Lucy Letby's appeal in its inbox. The CCRC is an independent public body that reviews possible miscarriages of justice in the criminal courts of England, Wales and Northern Ireland and refers cases to the appeal courts. The commission has had four critical reviews in the last 10 years, which Dame Vera said "all find the same thing". Speaking to Sky News after her appointment was announced, she said: "They don't communicate with applicants, are reluctant to challenge the Court of Appeal, they look for reasons not to refer rather than to refer and are quite often incompetent." Dame Vera is now charged with turning things around. She cites the example of Andrew Malkinson who was wrongly convicted of rape and spent 17 years in jail, when for most of that time DNA evidence had emerged that could have cleared his name. He had applied three times to the CCRC but was rejected twice on cost-benefit grounds. It's one of several cases leading to calls for "root and branch" reform of the CCRC from the Justice Committee, which said the watchdog "has shown a remarkable inability to learn from its own mistakes". An inquiry by Chris Henley KC also found that case workers missed multiple opportunities to help Malkinson. The previous chair, Helen Pitcher, was forced to resign in January and chief executive Karen Kneller told the committee of MPs they needed a strong replacement. Ms Kneller said in April: "We don't have that figurehead and without that figurehead I think it is difficult for the organisation." But that replacement did not think much of her evidence to MPs. "I didn't find her impressive," said Dame Vera, who will be meeting her new colleague next week. "I was really quite concerned about, first of all, the kind of fairly sketchy way in which she even allowed that they got it wrong in Malkinson, and these assertions that she was sorry that people only judged them by the mistakes, and they all took them very seriously, but actually they were otherwise doing a very good job. "My fear is that the attitude in the case of Malkinson and others, points to there being an attitude that's not positive, that's not mission-driven, that is not go-getter in other cases. So, are they getting it done properly?" A month later, a committee of MPs said Ms Kneller's position was no longer tenable. Committee chairman Andy Slaughter said: "As a result of our concerns regarding the performance of the CCRC and the unpersuasive evidence Karen Kneller provided to the committee, we no longer feel that it is tenable for her to continue as chief executive of the CCRC." 3:06 In February, the CCRC received an application from Lucy Letby, the former nurse convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others. It's a high-profile, complex case, arriving at a significant moment of flux. Asked if she thought the CCRC could deal with it, Dame Vera said: "Remember I'm quite new to it. It will need complexity. It will need a team. It will need the readiness to commission reports, I would guess from what's been said about the lack of scientific value in some of the things that were asserted. "So it's going to be a very complex task." In the Baird Inquiry into Greater Manchester Police last year, Dame Vera strongly criticised the force. She has a reputation for exposing hard truths to institutions, but now she is the institution. She will need to drive the changes.