Recommendations & Conclusions
13 items
10
Recommendation
3rd Report - Leadership of the Criminal…
Deferred
There is merit in Amanda Pearce’s suggestion that the CCRC should be able to explain its decisions on whether to refer cases to the appeal courts. This would allow for greater transparency which would aid proper scrutiny of the Commission’s decisions. This might go some way towards rebuilding public trust …
Government response. The government has deferred action on the CCRC explaining its decisions by referring the matter to an interim Chair's review, which will consider the issue of prohibition of disclosure and make recommendations if it finds it hampers effectiveness.
Ministry of Justice
19
Conclusion
3rd Report - Leadership of the Criminal…
Deferred
The significant budget reductions imposed on the Commission in previous decades must have had a lasting effect on its ability to conduct timely and comprehensive investigations, especially when combined with an increasing caseload. Despite recent budget increases, its current expenditure remains 15 per cent lower than it was in 2005 …
Government response. The government states an interim Chair's review will evaluate the CCRC's funding and value for money within its existing budget. It notes past budget increases but expects the CCRC to maximise current resources before further requests are considered.
Ministry of Justice
24
Conclusion
3rd Report - Leadership of the Criminal…
Deferred
We are concerned that the current terms of appointment for commissioners are not sufficiently attractive to recruit and retain the best possible candidates. Further, a minimum time commitment of 52 days per annum does not seem sufficient. (Conclusion, Paragraph 79)
Government response. The government notes a recent pay increase but defers the substantive review of commissioner terms of appointment and time commitment to the interim Chair's review, with any recommendations to be considered by Ministers.
Ministry of Justice
25
Recommendation
3rd Report - Leadership of the Criminal…
Deferred
We recommend that the terms of appointment for commissioners should be reviewed to enable them to make a greater contribution to the day-to-day running of the CCRC. (Recommendation, Paragraph 80)
Government response. The government states that the interim Chair's review will evaluate governance effectiveness and fully review the commissioners' contribution to the CCRC's running. It commits to considering any recommended changes to terms and conditions that emerge from this review.
Ministry of Justice
29
Conclusion
3rd Report - Leadership of the Criminal…
Deferred
It appears to us that the senior leaders have not been doing enough to challenge the Ministry of Justice and ensure that it has the resources it needs to carry out its functions. We are unclear whether this is due to a lack of robust lobbying on the part of …
Government response. The government states the interim Chair's review will rigorously evaluate CCRC funding and value for money, focusing on maximising current resources. It notes the MoJ has increased CCRC's budget year-on-year and expects CCRC to utilise funding cost-effectively.
Ministry of Justice
30
Recommendation
3rd Report - Leadership of the Criminal…
Deferred
We recommend that the interim chair considers the dynamic of the relationship between the Commission and the Ministry of Justice and how the Commission’s leadership could be supported to take a more robust approach to its dealings with the department. (Recommendation, Paragraph 89) Remote-first
Government response. The government states the relationship with CCRC is based on Cabinet Office good practice and is constructive. It welcomes any findings from the interim Chair's review regarding potential improvements in how the department interacts with the CCRC.
Ministry of Justice
31
Conclusion
3rd Report - Leadership of the Criminal…
Deferred
We were shocked by the CCRC leadership’s decision—quite out of line with the rest of the public sector where hybrid working prevails—to turn the organisation fully remote. We struggle to understand how investigative case work, with its complexities and potential for distress, is suitable to be undertaken fully from home, …
Government response. The government states the CCRC is responsible for determining its staff's terms and conditions and working locations as the employer. While agreeing on the importance of senior leadership presence, it clarifies CCRC staff are public servants, not civil servants, and …
Ministry of Justice
32
Conclusion
3rd Report - Leadership of the Criminal…
Deferred
Fundamentally, we question whether fully remote working is right for the Commission and urge the interim chair to evaluate its impact on the Commission’s efficiency, the quality of casework and on staff wellbeing and morale. (Recommendation, Paragraph 94)
Government response. The government states the CCRC is responsible for determining its staff's terms and conditions and working locations. While agreeing on the importance of senior leadership presence, it clarifies CCRC staff are public servants, not civil servants, and the working model …
Ministry of Justice
33
Conclusion
3rd Report - Leadership of the Criminal…
Deferred
We were told that recruitment played a role in the decision to become fully remote. However, we hope that other options were thoroughly explored first and staff were consulted before this drastic step was taken. Moving to a hybrid model of working in January 2022 may have been sufficient to …
Government response. The government states the CCRC is responsible for determining its staff's terms and conditions and working locations. It asserts that the CCRC Chair and Chief Executive ultimately define the best staff working model, with MoJ support.
Ministry of Justice
35
Recommendation
3rd Report - Leadership of the Criminal…
Deferred
We recommend that the senior leadership should have a regular presence in the office, particularly in light of recent events and the high-profile criticism directed at the Commission. In our view, it is imperative that the organisation moves towards a hybrid model to ensure that it operates more effectively. (Recommendation, …
Government response. The government states the CCRC is responsible for determining its staff's terms and conditions and working locations. While agreeing on the importance of senior leadership presence, it clarifies CCRC staff are public servants, not Civil Servants, and the working model …
Ministry of Justice
36
Conclusion
3rd Report - Leadership of the Criminal…
Deferred
We conclude that, a decade on from our predecessor Committee’s inquiry into the CCRC, there is evidence that the situation for the CCRC has deteriorated significantly. At the time of writing, the CCRC lacks a chair and has struggled to secure a sufficient number of commissioners, which are central to …
Government response. The government agrees the CCRC is important and faces significant challenges in rebuilding public trust. It states the new interim Chair's review will cover the Committee's concerns and looks forward to its findings and recommendations.
Ministry of Justice
37
Conclusion
3rd Report - Leadership of the Criminal…
Deferred
The CCRC is a hugely important organisation and the senior leadership could have done much more in their evidence to reassure us that they understood the seriousness of the criticisms it has faced and the need for an overhaul of the organisation to rebuild public trust and provide applicants to …
Government response. The government agrees the CCRC is a hugely important organisation facing challenges in rebuilding public trust. It highlights that the interim Chair's review has a primary objective to restore public confidence and will undertake an urgent and comprehensive review of …
Ministry of Justice
38
Conclusion
3rd Report - Leadership of the Criminal…
Deferred
We are concerned that the current structure of the CCRC does not appear to be functioning as it should. The Criminal Appeal Act 1995 created the CCRC as a body corporate, with the commissioners as members of the Commission, vested with the statutory functions to investigate and refer miscarriages of …
Government response. The government agrees the CCRC is important and faces challenges in rebuilding public trust. It outlines that the interim Chair's review will undertake an urgent and comprehensive evaluation of the CCRC's governance and leadership to restore public confidence.
Ministry of Justice