§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been released in each of the past 10 years as a result of miscarriages of justice who have had their original convictions quashed(a) on appeal and (b) otherwise. [38364]
§ Mr. Keith Bradley[holding answer 5 March 2002]: The information requested is not readily available. However, the table sets out the outcome of appeals heard by the full Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) in each of the last 10 years:
Allowed Dismissed Number of re-trials ordered 1992 299 370 12 1993 402 524 20 1994 351 577 51 1995 253 521 52 1996 250 469 53 19971 236 367 33 1998 290 403 73 1999 171 380 70 2000 150 333 72 2001 135 313 n/a 1 From 1997, figures relate to applications rather than appellants. It is not possible to tell from these figures exactly how many prisoners were released from prison in each of the last 10 years as a result of their convictions being quashed. This is because not all of those who have successfully appealed against conviction will be in custody at the time their convictions are overturned; the outcome of the re-trials ordered is not available; and the table does not take any account of summary convictions quashed by the Crown court, or of convictions quashed by the House of Lords (figures for which are not available). In addition, the table's figures for appeal outcomes from 1997 onward are for the number of applications heard (each of which could have involved more than one appellant). As to (b), it is only appellate courts which have the power to quash a conviction.