HC Deb 12 March 1998 vol 308 c338W
Mr. Plaskitt

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases have been completed by the Criminal Cases Review Commission to date; how many cases are (i) currently under investigation and (ii) have been referred and are still pending; what has been the average length of time taken to complete each case; and in how many cases investigated to date the person originally convicted had died prior to the Commission taking up the case. [33598]

Mr. Michael

At the end of February, the Criminal Cases Review Commission had completed 288 cases, was substantively reviewing 215 cases, and had done preliminary work on a further 749. In 222 of the 288, the Commission had determined that the applicant did not meet the eligibility criteria laid down by the Criminal Appeal Act 1995. Of the remaining 66, the Commission had decided to refer 12 to an appeal court, of which two have so far been heard. The average length of time taken to complete the 66 cases was 108 days. In three completed cases, and two cases currently being reviewed, the person originally convicted had died before the Commission took up the case.