A delegation of 15 lawyers from Japan visited the Criminal Cases Review Commission in Birmingham today as part of a fact-finding mission.
The group from the Japan Federation of Bar Associations spent several hours at the Commission inquiring how miscarriages of justice are investigated as part of a five-day trip to England and Germany. Commissioner Professor Leonard Leigh hosted the visit.
The Federation is campaigning for changes to the criminal justice system in Japan, including consideration of a mechanism to deal with miscarriages of justice and a review of capital punishment.
Organiser Kei Shinya said: “From the 70s to the 80s the Japanese courts granted retrial in four capital cases which all resulted in acquittal. Regrettably the system has not been reformed.
“We heard about how there were miscarriages of justice in the UK in the 1980s resulting in the setting up of the Commission and our members were keen to understand how the Commission operates.”
Commission Chairman Professor Graham Zellick said: “The staff here are rightly proud of the unique work that they do here and we were delighted to welcome the delegation from Japan.
“We have hosted visits from across the globe and the international interest in the Commission is a testament to the crucial role that it plays in promoting confidence in the criminal justice system. We believe that other countries have much to learn from our experience.”
The Commission is the independent public body set up by Parliament in 1997 to investigate possible miscarriages of justice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to decide if they should be referred to the appeal courts.
This press release was issued by Boris Worrall, Head of Communication, Criminal Cases Review Commission on 0121 633 1806 or 07947 355231.
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