Innocence is No Defence Under Arrest? Former Jurors Can Speak!
Three articles by Sandra Lean author and researcher on the subject of Miscarriages of Justice (MOJ). Essential reading for all those involved in MOJs.
Innocence is No Defence
In fact, being innocent is one of the biggest handicaps to the defence of an innocent person, because their ignorance of the system and how it works is used against them, time and time again.
For many people, being questioned in relation to a serious crime is not, initially, something to be afraid of. They proceed on the basis of the old maxim "I've done nothing wrong, so I have nothing to fear." What these people don't realise is that a police investigation does not, necessarily, exist to clear the innocent and find the guilty. It exists to allow the police access to enough information to secure a conviction. There is a big difference.
Read the full article here . . . .
Under Arrest?
We all know and recognise the famous "caution" - "Joe Bloggs, you are being arrested for the murder of Jack Black. You do not have to say anything, but anything you do say may be taken down and used in evidence against you." You'd think, then, that anyone who has been arrested would know they had been arrested, and would have the right not to answer any questions until they have a solicitor present. Well, if the caution was delivered exactly as it's shown here, that would be the case. But there are two significant problems with this.
Read the full article here . . . .
Former Jurors Can Speak!
It is illegal in this country to approach anyone who has served on a jury and ask them questions about how they came to their verdict. It is not, however, illegal for people who have served on a jury to talk about their experiences after the event.
Read the full article here . . . . |