Jury

November 2, 2023

Tilting the Balance – 7 ways our justice system favours conviction of the innocent over acquittal of the guilty

Reading Time: 10 minutes The Law Commission’s ongoing review of the criminal appeals system completed its pre-consultation phase last week, examining a raft of proposed reforms to the way our State institutions respond to potential miscarriages of justice. I was immediately struck by a well-intentioned but highly questionable passage in the Law Commission’s Issues...

November 7, 2020

Wrongful Convictions and Bad Juries – ‘Lurking Doubt’ in the Court of Appeal

Reading Time: 8 minutes Proving your innocence in most cases requires finding some ‘fresh evidence’ that wasn’t available at your original trial, a challenge that stops many a wrongly convicted person in their tracks. Unless you are one of the lucky few able to acquire pro bono support, conducting a private investigation from behind...

A friend of Mark’s girlfriend

“Even the evening I first met Mark, he managed to make a tremendous impression and convince me about his remarkable character. Mark was a gentleman, very friendly and was constantly making sure that everyone at the table was involved and feeling at ease. With his great sense of humour, genuine interest in whatever anyone had to say and accommodating attitude, he was very easy to like and exceptionally pleasant company.

Being a good friend of his girlfriend, my primary concern was whether he treats her well and is this the right guy for her; and I must say, I could not approve more. The affection, tight bond and mutual respect between the two was apparent at first sight. When SN wasn’t feeling well, Mark took her home even though he was having a good time and would have liked to stay longer. I couldn’t imagine that such a caring and considerate person would be a threat to anyone in any way. What I also see as demonstrative of his character is that he offered me a job and a place to stay when I expressed a desire to work in London over the summer, even though he hardly knew me and had no gain of his own in it. I view that as a purely altruistic action which portrays his kind heart and willingness to help a fellow in need.

From the way he described his father’s health situation, I could see that he was sincerely concerned about the suffering his father had endured, both physically and emotionally [December 2009]. You don’t need to know someone for a long time to be able to read the look in their eyes. I trust Mark.”

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Wrongful Convictions and Bad Juries – ‘Lurking Doubt’ in the Court of Appeal

A friend of Mark’s girlfriend

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