Miscarriages of Justice in the 21st Century

This article looks at the extent to which the author feels that the criminal justice process of the 21st century is equipped to deal with miscarriages of justice. Starting with an outline description of the changes to the law and the CCRC itself followed by a brief evaluation of the CCRC's work to date, the article then deals with human rights issues, assessing the potential impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 and the corresponding duties incumbent on public authorities such as the CCRC and the Court of Appeal, and addresses the extent to which the identifying and processing of miscarriages of justice will change as a result. The article concludes with the view that whilst there has, on paper at least, been a change for the better, in reality little has changed. </jats:p>