Legal body chief's position ‘no longer tenable', MPs warn
The head of a legal body heavily criticised for its handling of the Andrew Malkinson case should not continue in the top job, a committee of MPs has said.
Karen Kneller's position as chief executive of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC),which investigates potential miscarriages of justice, is no longer tenable, according to the Justice Committee.
It follows 'unpersuasive' evidence from her on the CCRC's challenges and response to public criticisms in April, and concerns on the performance of the review body.
The CCRC has come under fire as a review by barrister Chris Henley KC found Mr Malkinson could have been released 10 years earlier from prison for a rape he did not commit, if the CCRC had obtained new DNA evidence as early as 2009.
Chairwoman of the body, Helen Pitcher, eventually resigned from her role in January following Mr Malkinson's case, but claimed she had been scapegoated.
Before her resignation, she had apologised to Mr Malkinson in April 2024, nine months after his conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal in July 2023.
In a report published on Friday, 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.'
'There is clear evidence in our report that the situation for the CCRC has deteriorated significantly and it now requires root and branch reform.'
The chairman also accused the leadership team of showing a 'remarkable inability' to learn from its own mistakes, and that the CCRC failed to respond adequately to Mr Malkinson's acquittal and to the publication of Mr Henley's independent review.
Mr Slaughter added that the committee received comments from Mr Henley and Chris Webb, who was employed by the CCRC as an independent communications consultant, 'to the effect that she had misled the committee' following the April meeting.
'Without making a finding on whether the committee had been misled and giving Ms Kneller an opportunity to comment on the allegations, the committee nonetheless found the manner in which she gave evidence a further indicator of her unsuitability to continue to lead the CCRC,' he said.
'The information provided since the session establishes that Karen Kneller omitted important information that would have provided a more accurate account of how the CCRC handled the Henley report.'
The committee's report concluded that Mr Henley's assessment on the work the CCRC had done was 'damning', and while it was focused on Mr Malkinson's case it should have been taken as evidence of systemic problems within the CCRC.
It also said the body had been without an interim chair since Ms Pitcher's resignation for four months, which is an 'unacceptably long period of time' particularly given the 'turbulent' period.
Mr Slaughter added the Ministry of Justice should take a degree of responsibility for not putting a plan in place for a replacement.
Responding to the report, a CCRC spokesperson said: 'We note the recommendations in the Justice Select Committee report and the committee's view that its findings should 'inform the approach of the next chair of the CCRC' in reviewing how we operate.
'We look forward to an announcement on the appointment of an interim chair and to working with them in an organisation deeply committed to finding, investigating and referring potential miscarriages of justice.'
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: 'Miscarriages of justice can have a devastating impact. It is vital the public have confidence in the organisation dedicated to uncovering wrongful convictions.
'The Lord Chancellor will imminently announce the appointment to provide strong leadership to the CCRC and conduct a full and thorough review of how the organisation operates, including an assessment of its leadership.'
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