Warning…
Be prepared to be patient, this is not to say that you wait for things to happen, there are a lot of “alleged” miscarriages of justice out there and your case will soon be yesterday’s news if you do not keep proactive.
If leave to appeal has not been granted the next stop is the Criminal Case Review Commission (CCRC)
It took almost 5 years from the first application form being sent about the wrongful arrest to the case being assigned a case worker at the CCRC. (- see under “Links” for more information on this government body)
It took almost 2 years for the campaigning team to read the case papers, make sense of everything and discover evidence.
It took over 3 years of tenuous work, everyday to get recognition and to build momentum with the website and the campaign.
Research is paramount, read about other cases, watch documentaries, read books, look up the organisation’s websites, ask questions and study whatever you need to study to understand the case better.
H.M forces and the Justice system are not keen to admit that they have made a mistake and they will make it as difficult as they can for you, be persistent and do not feel discouraged by closed doors, do not expect them to be helpful but keep knocking!
Correspondence needs to be followed up, make sure you keep copies of everything you send and do not hesitate to send forms 2 or 3 times, just in case one gets “lost in the post”. Follow up with a phone call to ensure it has been received.
Our application to the CCRC was sent twice by the person inside and twice by us, yet they spent months claiming that they hadn’t received it.
The police will undoubtedly monitor what you are doing, especially if you get a lot of press attention, they have the means to screen your website, phone calls, etc…. this is not a certainty but be aware that it does happen! Be sure of who you speak to and what you talk about.
Beware of people who claim to know information about the case; people like to feel involved and have the best intentions at hearts, don’t believe in hearsay.
Remember that not everyone will agree with you, you may get some strong opinions at times; rise above it and keep focused, everyone is entitled to their opinion and do not waste your time arguing pointlessly.
Be suspicious of people’s “hidden agendas”, criminal cases are delicate subjects; do not divulge information to just anyone because you think they might help you.
Always respect the victim’s dignity and integrity.
If you do not have a lawyer, always confer with the agencies who will advise you if you are unsure about anything.
As frustrated as you may feel at times, remember that the system is designed to discourage you, the longer you go on, the more chances you have of succeeding, persistence and determination will get you there eventually.
Take one day at a time.
Unfortunately, miscarriages of justice do happen and therefore try and study previous cases closely, educate yourself, use the support groups and work with other campaigners, share your knowledge.
As time goes on and we learn how to fight the system, hopefully the time it takes to overturn wrongful convictions will shorten and eventually the judicial system might put appropriate procedures in place to allow people to defend themselves fairly and rapidly.
Stay patient, active and never give up.
