| Share | | | | year, appeal court judges ruled in favour of Stephen |
| The Home Office announced last week that | | | | Miller who had spent four years in prison based on a |
| innocence and ‘not guilty’ are not one and | | | | wrongful conviction. But the award was for only |
| the same and this can affect the amount of | | | | £55,000 which was described as “irrationally |
| compensation given to those who have been falsely | | | | low” by campaigners. An independent assessor, |
| imprisoned. | | | | Lord Daniel Brennan QC agreed with this remark and |
| It has been revealed that the Ministry of Justice will | | | | recommended an increased award for Miller. |
| not pay compensation to a man who was wrongly | | | | Campaigners have always found the compensation |
| convicted and spent six years in jail for murder. This | | | | claim guidelines to be used unfairly, and often argue |
| decision was based on the fact that he was not | | | | that decisions such as those made above, can |
| “clearly innocent”. | | | | undermine judges and juries. |
| This has been highlighted in the case of the former | | | | Harry Fletcher, of the National Association of |
| school teacher, Sion Jenkins, whose claim for | | | | Probation Officers, said: "It seems to me that the |
| £500,000 was refused by the government. Jenkins | | | | absolute minimum is paid to people and as many |
| had been jailed for the murder of his foster | | | | deductions as possible are made, quite apart from |
| daughter, but due to a quashed conviction and two | | | | the time people have to wait. When someone is |
| retrials with hung juries, Jenkins was released. | | | | cleared of a crime, they just walk out through the |
| Officials have said that the Court of Appeal have | | | | court doors, they don't qualify for probation support |
| very clear guidelines as to when compensation is due. | | | | or assistance. It's not just the finances, there's no |
| These guidelines cover situations such as the | | | | assessment of their needs and it is extraordinarily |
| introduction of new evidence which later proves | | | | difficult for people to adapt. |
| innocence and not instances where the prosecution | | | | "The Home Office clearly thinks that Jenkins was |
| simple has a weak case. | | | | freed on a technicality, which doesn't mean he's |
| Paying compensation for miscarriages of justice has | | | | innocent, but that's not for them to decide. It's fairly |
| always been highly controversial. For example, last | | | | shameful for them to think they overrule a court. |