09/09/2010
Barry George, who was acquitted of murder, has won the first round of a legal battle to win compensation. Pete Weatherby of GCN was intereviewed for LexisWeb.co.uk (published 09.09.10) about the current compensation scheme.
Extracts from the article as follows:
"Barrister Pete Weatherby has represented a number of high profile miscarriage victims including Robert Brown and Michael Shields . He says: “The issues in the case of Barry George are yet to become clear, but as the case has been stayed pending the hearing of three other ‘miscarriage of justice’ cases to be heard in the Supreme Court in February 2011, it is to be assumed the legal meaning of that term is key to the claim.”
...
"So what do lawyers need to be aware of? “At the present time lawyers can only advise clients to look at the possibilities of taking actions for malicious prosecution, misfeasance in public office and false imprisonment, and to make claims under the statutory scheme. The possibility of real change will come in February, and any reaction to that decision from the legislature,” concludes Weatherby."
> 09.09.10 - Compensation Scheme for Miscarriage Victims Should Be More Flexible (LexisWeb.co.uk)
> Matthew Stanbury of GCN is instructed in the case of Ian Lawless, who was granted permission in August 2010 to challenge the refusal by the Justice Secretary to award him compensation, after his murder conviction was quashed in 2009 .