Ex-victims commissioner to lead legal appeals body
Getty ImagesDame Vera Baird, a former victims commissioner and government minister, has been appointed the new chair of the embattled Criminal Cases Review Commission.
The barrister, who has also been a Police and Crime Commissioner, will take up the post on an interim basis and lead a major review into the miscarriages of justice agency.
Her appointment comes after her predecessor, Helen Pitcher, quit after losing the confidence of the government in the fall-out from the wrongful conviction of Andy Malkinson.
Mr Malkinson spent 17 years in jail for a rape he did not commit and a damning review found that the CCRC had repeatedly failed to act on clear opportunities to help him clear his name.
The Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said that Dame Vera would be tasked with rebuilding public confidence in the agency and carrying out an urgent review into how the CCRC is being run.
Ms Mahmood said: "Miscarriages of justice have a devastating and life-long impact. The organisation tasked with uncovering them must earn back the public's trust in the justice system, vital to our plan for Change.
"Dame Vera will bring strong leadership to the Criminal Cases Review Commission."
Dame Vera, a criminal barrister, became an MP in 2001 and was Solicitor General during Gordon Brown's administration between 2007 and 2010, one of the top legal posts in government.
She went on to become the PCC for Northumbria Police and then the Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales between 2019 and 2022.
Dame Vera Baird said: "When the justice system makes mistakes, as all human institutions do, from time to time, the role of the CCRC is crucial in uncovering them.
"It is vital the public can have confidence in an organisation whose constitutional importance is so central to a fair and just system.
"I look forward to working alongside the many hardworking and dedicated members of staff to restore that confidence, ensuring recommendations stemming from multiple reviews over the last decade are being effectively implemented, as well as identifying further areas for improvement."
Her interim appointment will run until December 2026 before a permanent appointment being made.
The review she will head includes acting on the recommendations to correct the Malkinson failings and examining whether the organisation is correctly sending cases back to appeal judges for review.
Last month, parliament's Justice Committee cast doubt on the CCRC's ability to learn from its mistakes, saying that it did not believe that chief executive Karen Kneller, who answers to the chair, should remain in post.
A CCRC spokesperson said: "We are delighted that Dame Vera Baird DBE KC has been appointed interim Chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
"Dame Vera brings decades of experience in the criminal justice system and a strong commitment to ensuring justice for all. Everyone at the CCRC looks forward to working with her to continue our mission to find, investigate and send potential miscarriages of justice back to the courts."