A Kent prison has completed a new 247-place houseblock as the government expands England and Wales’s prison estate amid continuing pressure on capacity.The new block at HMP Elmley, on the Isle of Sheppey, is expected to receive its first prisoners
The Justice Gap
The Justice Gap is a publication that focuses on issues related to criminal justice, policing, and legal reform in England and Wales. It covers topics such as police surveillance practices, including undercover operations and facial recognition technology, as well as the impact of legal system backlogs on trial rights. The blog also addresses concerns about the use of artificial intelligence in policing and highlights systemic problems within the prison system, particularly regarding women's prisons and related deaths. It features critical perspectives on government policies and advocates for regulatory and legal reforms to improve justice outcomes.
Is the CCRC marking out routes to end major injustices?
Two years ago, the CCRC (Criminal Cases Review Commission), the last resort for those who have been unfairly convicted of crimes they did not commit, was often criticised for its failures. The case of Andrew Malkinson had hit the headlines,…
Intervention in Supreme Court case warns of implications for domestic abuse related suicide
A case to be heard in the Supreme Court tomorrow could have significant implications for people trying to seek justice after someone has been driven to take their own life after being a victim domestic abuse.The highest court in the…
Two more wrongful convictions linked to corrupt detective Ridgewell
Two men convicted as teenagers in a case involving disgraced police officer Derek Ridgewell have had their convictions referred for review, taking the number of people whose cases linked to the corrupt detective have been referred by the Criminal Cases…
Two men freed after two decades under indefinite prison sentences
Two men jailed indefinitely as teenagers have been freed after spending two decades in custody, despite minimum terms of less than three years, the Guardian reports.Luke Ings and Liam Bennett had their sentences overturned and replaced with shorter terms at…
Five bankers’ rate-rigging wrongful convictions overturned by Court of Appeal
Five city traders have had their convictions overturned in the Court of Appeal after serving jail sentences for rigging interest rates while working at Barclays bank.Philippe Moryoussef, Jay Merchant, Colin Bermingham, Jonathan Mathew, and Alex Pabon were convicted following prosecutions…
Super complaint launches over police ‘revenge porn’ failures
A police super complaint has been launched over forces’ ‘systemic failures’ to police image-based sex crimes.The challenge draws on testimony from over 100 survivors, police data from across England and Wales, and input from frontline organisations working with survivors of…
‘How do you fix 28 years of somebody’s life wrongly taken away?’
By Jon Robins
A man who spent 28 years in prison after being wrongly convicted twice features in a new series on miscarriages of justice. Justin Plummer, whose case first featured on the Justice Gap, has done his first television interview with actor…
Government drops controversial plan to scrap jury trials
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has abandoned Starmer’s controversial plans to remove the right to jury trials for thousands of Crown Court cases after backlash from lawyers, campaigners, and MPs.The reversal, announced on 4 October, scraps proposals for judge-only trials in…
Hundreds of prisoners released early under new rules
Just 24 hours after new release rules came into effect, hundreds of prisoners have begun leaving jails across England and Wales earlier than previously expected, amid concerns about accommodation and probation capacity.The Ministry of Justice estimated that 700 prisoners would…