Rough Justice (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Rough Justice was a BBC television
series which investigated alleged miscarriages of justice. It was broadcast between 1982 and 2007, and played a role in securing the release of 18 people involved in 13 cases involving miscarriages of justice. The programme was similar in aim and approach to The Court of Last Resort
, the NBC
TV series that aired in the US between 1957 and 1958. It is credited with contributing to the establishment of the Criminal Cases Review Commission
in 1997. Rough Justice was cancelled in 2007 due to budget restraints, leading to criticism from the media as the announcement came just as the BBC launched an £
18 million Gaelic language channel which would serve only 86,000 viewers.
, in 1979, motivated by Ludovic Kennedy's
earlier television work in the same field and the work of Tom Sargant
at reform group JUSTICE
. In 1992 Hill recalled: "At that time there were equally important programmes being made by John Willis at Yorkshire Television
and Ray Fitzwater at Granada
. We were all investigating mistakes made before a case comes to trial. That was the problem in the early eighties
- the legacy of police misconduct
from the seventies
." During this period, criminal justice procedure in the United Kingdom was uncodified. Until the introduction of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984
(PACE), and the creation of the Crown Prosecution Service
in 1986, the police "decided what evidence to disclose." Following the introduction of PACE, David Jessel
, who replaced Hill, acknowledged that the Act had "probably reduced police misconduct" but said that "the evidence of a plethora of post-PACE case papers is that the same old wickednesses continue, although in different guises. It is remarkable how many suspects these days "confess" in police cars on their way to PACE-protected police stations; and duty solicitor
s have tales to tell about the co-operation afforded them at some stations."
, writing in The Guardian
, pointed out that the "effort and care which went into the programme's investigations" frequently "uncovered basic flaws in our system of investigating crime, exposed police incompetence and revealed the shortcomings of forensic science." It was this effort, Berlins believed, and the high financial cost that it entailed, that led to the BBC decision that "the crass value-for-money criterion was not being fulfilled. Yet Rough Justice is a perfect example of what public service broadcasting
, which the BBC is supposed to espouse, is all about." Simon Ford, who had worked as the programme's executive producer, said: "For 27 years, a programme like Rough Justice has proved that television, as well as reporting on injustice, can actually change things. Without a dedicated team doing that, many individuals who are wrongly imprisoned will stay there and the British public will remain ignorant of the failings of our justice system. This is a tragedy for the prisoners themselves and our greater society." The BBC was also criticised for cancelling the programme while spending £18 million to launch a Gaelic language channel "aimed at only 86,000, mainly Scottish, viewers, a population the size of Crawley
,[ West Sussex
] ."
Justice Season focusing on the state of justice in Britain, a programme called Retrial by TV: The Rise and Fall of Rough Justice aired on 3 April 2011 and examined the creation of the series, its relationship with the charity JUSTICE
, and its troubled relations with the UK judiciary (as characterised by criticisms by law lords Denning
and Lane
), the police, the Home Office
and the governors of the BBC.
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
series which investigated alleged miscarriages of justice. It was broadcast between 1982 and 2007, and played a role in securing the release of 18 people involved in 13 cases involving miscarriages of justice. The programme was similar in aim and approach to The Court of Last Resort
The Court of Last Resort
The Court of Last Resort is an American television drama series which aired on the NBC from 1957 through 1958. It was co-produced by Erle Stanley Gardner's Paisano Productions, which also brought forth the long-running hit television program, Perry Mason on CBS.Its approach to dealing with...
, the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
TV series that aired in the US between 1957 and 1958. It is credited with contributing to the establishment of the Criminal Cases Review Commission
Criminal Cases Review Commission
The Criminal Cases Review Commission is an non-departmental public body set up following the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice itself a continuation of the May Inquiry. It aims to investigate possible miscarriages of justice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
in 1997. Rough Justice was cancelled in 2007 due to budget restraints, leading to criticism from the media as the announcement came just as the BBC launched an £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
18 million Gaelic language channel which would serve only 86,000 viewers.
Origins
The programme was devised and produced by Peter Hill, an investigative journalistInvestigative journalism
Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, often involving crime, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years researching and preparing a report. Investigative journalism...
, in 1979, motivated by Ludovic Kennedy's
Ludovic Kennedy
Sir Ludovic Henry Coverley Kennedy was a British journalist, broadcaster, humanist and author best known for re-examining cases such as the Lindbergh kidnapping and the murder convictions of Timothy Evans and Derek Bentley, and for his role in the abolition of the death penalty in the United...
earlier television work in the same field and the work of Tom Sargant
Thomas Sargant
Thomas Sargant was a British law reformer who campaigned for the promotion of human rights. He was educated at Highgate School.Sargant, for much of his life a businessman and politician, became increasingly concerned with the impact of the law and legal services upon ordinary people...
at reform group JUSTICE
JUSTICE
JUSTICE is a human rights and law reform organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is the British section of the International Commission of Jurists, the international human rights organisation of lawyers devoted to the legal protection of human rights worldwide...
. In 1992 Hill recalled: "At that time there were equally important programmes being made by John Willis at Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television, now officially known as ITV Yorkshire and sometimes unofficially abbreviated to YTV, is a British television broadcaster and the contractor for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network...
and Ray Fitzwater at Granada
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
. We were all investigating mistakes made before a case comes to trial. That was the problem in the early eighties
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
- the legacy of police misconduct
Police misconduct
Police misconduct refers to inappropriate actions taken by police officers in connection with their official duties. Police misconduct can lead to a miscarriage of justice and sometimes involves discrimination...
from the seventies
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
." During this period, criminal justice procedure in the United Kingdom was uncodified. Until the introduction of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984
Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984
The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 is an Act of Parliament which instituted a legislative framework for the powers of police officers in England and Wales to combat crime, as well as providing codes of practice for the exercise of those powers. Part VI of PACE required the Home Secretary...
(PACE), and the creation of the Crown Prosecution Service
Crown Prosecution Service
The Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, is a non-ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for public prosecutions of people charged with criminal offences in England and Wales. Its role is similar to that of the longer-established Crown Office in Scotland, and the...
in 1986, the police "decided what evidence to disclose." Following the introduction of PACE, David Jessel
David Jessel
David Jessel is a former British TV and radio news presenter; author; and campaigner against miscarriages of justice. From 2000 to 2010 he was also a commissioner of the Criminal Cases Review Commission.-Background:...
, who replaced Hill, acknowledged that the Act had "probably reduced police misconduct" but said that "the evidence of a plethora of post-PACE case papers is that the same old wickednesses continue, although in different guises. It is remarkable how many suspects these days "confess" in police cars on their way to PACE-protected police stations; and duty solicitor
Duty solicitor
In the several Commonwealth countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, a duty solicitor is a solicitor whose services are available to a person either suspected of, or charged with, a criminal offence free of charge if that person does not have access to a...
s have tales to tell about the co-operation afforded them at some stations."
Format
Each programme concentrated on a separate case where a miscarriage of justice was alleged to have taken place. The first, titled The Case of the Handful of Hair, was broadcast on BBC1 on 7 April 1982, and concerned a 1977 murder case. It was watched by 11 million viewers.Cancellation
The programme was cancelled by the BBC in November 2007 as a cost-cutting measure. Marcel BerlinsMarcel Berlins
Marcel Berlins is a lawyer, legal commentator, broadcaster, and columnist. He writes for British newspapers The Guardian and The Times, presented BBC Radio 4's legal programme Law in Action for 15 years and is currently a Visiting Professor at City University London in the department.He was born...
, writing in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, pointed out that the "effort and care which went into the programme's investigations" frequently "uncovered basic flaws in our system of investigating crime, exposed police incompetence and revealed the shortcomings of forensic science." It was this effort, Berlins believed, and the high financial cost that it entailed, that led to the BBC decision that "the crass value-for-money criterion was not being fulfilled. Yet Rough Justice is a perfect example of what public service broadcasting
Public broadcasting
Public broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.Public broadcasting may be...
, which the BBC is supposed to espouse, is all about." Simon Ford, who had worked as the programme's executive producer, said: "For 27 years, a programme like Rough Justice has proved that television, as well as reporting on injustice, can actually change things. Without a dedicated team doing that, many individuals who are wrongly imprisoned will stay there and the British public will remain ignorant of the failings of our justice system. This is a tragedy for the prisoners themselves and our greater society." The BBC was also criticised for cancelling the programme while spending £18 million to launch a Gaelic language channel "aimed at only 86,000, mainly Scottish, viewers, a population the size of Crawley
Crawley
Crawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...
,
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
Programmes
- 1982
- The Case of the Handful of Hair (first broadcast 7 April 1982) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Mervyn "Jock" Russell for the murder of Jane Bigwood in DeptfordDeptfordDeptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, in 1977. - The Case of the Thin-bladed Knife (first broadcast 14 April 1982) - reinvestigation of the conviction of father and son Michael and Patrick McDonagh for the murder of Francis McDonagh in Moss SideMoss SideMoss Side is an inner-city area and electoral ward of Manchester, England. It lies south of Manchester city centre and has a population of around 17,537...
, ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. - The Case of Little Boy Blue (21 April 1982) - reinvestigation of the 1973 conviction of John Walters for sexual assaultSexual assaultSexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
ing Roselyne Auffret on a train travelling from Wimbledon stationWimbledon stationWimbledon station is a National Rail, London Underground, and Tramlink station located in Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton, and is the only London station that provides an interchange between rail, Underground, and Tramlink services...
to London Waterloo station. Originally sentenced to four years imprisonment for the offence, Walters' insistence of his innocence throughout his sentence led to him being labelled delusional and he was transferred to BroadmoorBroadmoor HospitalBroadmoor Hospital is a high-security psychiatric hospital at Crowthorne in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It is the best known of the three high-security psychiatric hospitals in England, the other two being Ashworth and Rampton...
high-security psychiatric hospitalPsychiatric hospitalPsychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
where he was still being detained at the time of broadcast.
- The Case of the Handful of Hair (first broadcast 7 April 1982) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Mervyn "Jock" Russell for the murder of Jane Bigwood in Deptford
- 1983
- Rough Justice Report (first broadcast 19 October 1983) - follow-up and progress reports relating to the previous programmes and previewing the second season.
- The Case of the Tortured Teenager (first broadcast 26 October 1983) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Margaret Livesey for the murder of her fourteen-year-old son Alan Livesey in Bamber BridgeBamber BridgeBamber Bridge is a village to the south of Preston, Lancashire, England. The name derives from the Old English 'bēam' and 'brycg', which probably means "tree-trunk bridge". It is mentioned in an undated medieval document. The village is often referred to as "Brig" by residents...
, near Preston. - The Case of the Confused Chemicals (first broadcast 2 November 1983) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Ernie Clarke for the murder of Eileen McDougall, whose body was found nine years after her death in a petroleumPetroleumPetroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
storage tank at South ShieldsSouth ShieldsSouth Shields is a coastal town in Tyne and Wear, England, located at the mouth of the River Tyne to Tyne Dock, and about downstream from Newcastle upon Tyne...
, Tyne and WearTyne and WearTyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
. - The Case of the Missing Meal (first broadcast 9 November 1983) - reinvestigation of the conviction of George Beattie for the murder of Margaret McLaughlin at CarlukeCarlukeThe town of Carluke lies in the heart of the Lanarkshire countryside in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, 5.4 miles northwest of Lanark and 4 miles southeast of Wishaw....
, South LanarkshireSouth LanarkshireSouth Lanarkshire is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of the former county of Lanarkshire. It borders the south-east of the city of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns and smaller villages....
.
- 1984
- Verdict Unsafe (first broadcast 22 March 1984) - documentary following the life of Mervyn Russell after his release from prison, his conviction for murder having been quashed as a result of The Case of the Handful of Hair.
- 1985
- Rough Justice Report (first broadcast 12 September 1985)- follow-up and progress reports relating to the previous programmes and previewing the third season.
- The Case of the False Fish (first broadcast 19 September 1985) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Anthony Steel for the murder of Carol Wilkinson at RavenscliffeRavenscliffe, West YorkshireRavenscliffe is an area in the Eccleshill ward of the city of Bradford District, in the English county of West Yorkshire. Ravenscliffe is located to the west of Fagley Beck and to the east of the A658 road.-References:...
, BradfordBradfordBradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
. - The Case of the Tell-tale Tape (first broadcast 26 September 1985) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Alf Fox for the murder of his wife and mother-in-law.
- The Case of the Perfect Proof (first broadcast 3 October 1985) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Anthony Mycock for aggravated burglaryBurglaryBurglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
. The victim later said that the crime had not taken place and that it was a figment of her imagination.
- 1987
- Rough Justice Report (first broadcast 1 September 1987) - follow-up and progress reports relating to the previous programmes and previewing the fourth season.
- A Confession to the Impossible (first broadcast 7 September 1987) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Bill Funnell for the murder of his wife Anne Funnell
- When Lightning Strikes Thrice (first broadcast 30 September 1987) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Stephen Spencer for armed robbery at LiverpoolLiverpoolLiverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
in 1984. - Evidence in Camera (first broadcast 17 December 1987) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Ernest Barrie for armed robbery at the Clydesdale BankClydesdale BankClydesdale Bank is a commercial bank in Scotland, a subsidiary of the National Australia Bank Group. In Scotland, Clydesdale Bank is the third largest clearing bank, although it also retains a branch network in London and the north of England...
in Blantyre, South LanarkshireSouth LanarkshireSouth Lanarkshire is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of the former county of Lanarkshire. It borders the south-east of the city of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns and smaller villages....
, in 1986.
- 1989
- A Convenient Conviction (first broadcast 25 January 1989) - reinvestigation of the convictions of brothers Paul and Wayne Darvell for the murder sex shopSex shopA sex shop, erotic shop is a shop that sells products related to adult sexual or erotic entertainment, such as sex toys, lingerie, clothing, pornography, and other related products...
manageress Sandra Phillips in SwanseaSwanseaSwansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, in 1985. - Rough Justice Report (first broadcast 12 March 1989) - follow up to Evidence in Camera detailing the subsequent acquittal and release of Ernest Barrie.
- A Convenient Conviction (first broadcast 25 January 1989) - reinvestigation of the convictions of brothers Paul and Wayne Darvell for the murder sex shop
- 1990
- Suspect Premises (first broadcast 4 April 1990) - reinvestigation of the conviction of GhanaianGhanaGhana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
Sammy Davis for the rapeRapeRape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
of a SwedishSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
tourist in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in November 1986.
- Suspect Premises (first broadcast 4 April 1990) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Ghanaian
- 1991
- An Inquiry Under Question (first broadcast 28 March 1991) - update of the Stephen Spencer case first highlighted in When Lightning Strikes Thrice, which had led to Douglas HurdDouglas HurdDouglas Richard Hurd, Baron Hurd of Westwell, CH, CBE, PC , is a British Conservative politician and novelist, who served in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major between 1979 and his retirement in 1995....
, the Home SecretaryHome SecretaryThe Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
, ordering a review of the case. This follow-up programme produced evidence suggesting that the review was conducted improperly plus further fresh evidence that Spencer could not have committed the crime. - Who Was that Masked Man? (first broadcast 4 April 1991) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Robert Campbell for armed robbery at GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
in 1989. - Murder or Mystery? The Curious Case of Baby Glen (first broadcast 5 November 1991) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Jacqueline Fletcher for the murder of her 6-week-old son Glen. Fletcher had been convicted at BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
Crown Court in 1988 of drowning Glen, whose death had previously been considered a case of sudden infant death syndromeSudden infant death syndromeSudden infant death syndrome is marked by the sudden death of an infant that is unexpected by medical history, and remains unexplained after a thorough forensic autopsy and a detailed death scene investigation. An infant is at the highest risk for SIDS during sleep, which is why it is sometimes...
. Fletcher was not arrested until three years after Glen's death.
- An Inquiry Under Question (first broadcast 28 March 1991) - update of the Stephen Spencer case first highlighted in When Lightning Strikes Thrice, which had led to Douglas Hurd
- 1992
- The Bordon Baseball Bat Murder (first broadcast 21 May 1992) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Sam Hill for murder of Malcolm Barker at BordonBordonBordon is a town in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It lies 5.4 miles southeast of Alton and forms a part of the civil parish of Whitehill, the adjoining village. Both settlements are on the A325 road and close to the A3 road between London and Portsmouth...
, East HampshireEast HampshireEast Hampshire is a local government district in Hampshire, England. Its council is based in Petersfield. Other towns are Alton, Horndean and Whitehill-Bordon....
, in 1987, a crime which another man had confessed to.
- The Bordon Baseball Bat Murder (first broadcast 21 May 1992) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Sam Hill for murder of Malcolm Barker at Bordon
- 1993
- Murder in Mind (first broadcast 1 April 1993) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Patrick Kane for aiding and abettingAiding and abettingCriminal=Aiding and abetting is an additional provision in United States criminal law, for situations where it cannot be shown the party personally carried out the criminal offense, but where another person may have carried out the illegal act as an agent of the charged, working together with or...
the murders of David Howes and Derek WoodCorporals killingsThe corporals killings was the killing of corporals David Robert Howes and Derek Tony Wood, two British Army soldiers of the Royal Corps of Signals killed on 19 March 1988 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The non-uniformed soldiers were killed by the Provisional Irish Republican Army , after they...
at Casement ParkCasement ParkCasement Park is the principal Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland, home to the Antrim football and hurling teams...
, BelfastBelfastBelfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
in 1988. - Murder in Mind (first broadcast 14 July 1993) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Ransford NedrickR v NedrickR v Nedrick 8 Cr. App. R. 179 is an English criminal law case dealing with mens rea. The defendant poured paraffin oil through the letterbox of a house, against whose owner he had a grudge. The house was set alight resulting in a child being killed...
for the murder of 12-year-old Lloyd Hume following an act of arsonArsonArson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
in WolverhamptonWolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
, West MidlandsWest Midlands (county)The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, in 1984.
- Murder in Mind (first broadcast 1 April 1993) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Patrick Kane for aiding and abetting
- 1994
- Code of Silence (first broadcast 26 January 1994) - reinvestigation of the conviction of John "Mex" Megson, a member of the "Druids" motorcycle clubMotorcycle clubA motorcycle club is a group of individuals whose primary interest and activities involve motorcycles.In the U.S. the abbreviation, MC or MCC, can have a special social meaning from the point of view of the outlaw subcultures, and is usually reserved by them for those clubs that are mutually...
, for the murder of Stephen Rowley at Scarborough MereScarborough MereScarborough Mere is a natural lake in the Weaponness Valley, in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England.Formerly measuring in area, the construction of the York and North Midland Railway line from York to Scarborough bisected the Mere in 1845...
, North YorkshireNorth YorkshireNorth Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, in 1989. - True Confessions (first broadcast 2 June 1994) - follow up to The Bordon Baseball Bat Murder. Sam Hill's conviction had gone to appeal and was turned down despite David Smith's public confession to the murder.
- The Biker's Tale (first broadcast 25 August 1994) - follow up to Code of Silence, relating Megson's successful appeal, retrial and subsequent release in May 1994.
- Code of Silence (first broadcast 26 January 1994) - reinvestigation of the conviction of John "Mex" Megson, a member of the "Druids" motorcycle club
- 1995
- Death in the Playground (first broadcast 3 May 1995) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Paul Esslemont for the manslaughterManslaughterManslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
of 3-year-old Carl Kennedy at CoventryCoventryCoventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, West MidlandsWest Midlands (county)The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, in 1993.
- Death in the Playground (first broadcast 3 May 1995) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Paul Esslemont for the manslaughter
- 1996
- The Usual Suspect (first broadcast 12 March 1996) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Paul Berry for armed robbery.
- Who Killed Carl Bridgewater? (first broadcast 10 April 1996) - reinvestigation of the convictions of Patrick Molloy, Jim Robinson, Michael Hickey and Vincent Hickey (the Bridgewater FourBridgewater FourThe Bridgewater Four was the collective name given to the quartet of men who were tried and found guilty of killing 13 year old paperboy Carl Bridgewater, who was shot in the head at close range. After 18 years their convictions were overturned...
) for the murder of 13-year-old Carl Bridgewater at StourbridgeStourbridgeStourbridge is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands of England. Historically part of Worcestershire, Stourbridge was a centre of glass making, and today includes the suburbs of Amblecote, Lye, Norton, Oldswinford, Pedmore, Wollaston, Wollescote and Wordsley The...
, West MidlandsWest Midlands (county)The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, in 1978. - The Vet's Wife (first broadcast 26 November 1996) - reinvestigation of the conviction Ryan James for the murder of his wife Sandra James at Burton-upon-Trent, StaffordshireStaffordshireStaffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, in 1995.
- 1997
- Murder at the Studio (first broadcast 1 April 1997) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Stephen Craven for the murder of Penny Laing at the Studio Nightclub, Newcastle upon TyneNewcastle upon TyneNewcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
in 1990. - Judgement Day (first broadcast 30 July 1997) - an unscheduled follow up to Who Killed Carl Bridgewater? transmitted on the day that the Bridgewater Four successfully won their appeal and were released.
- Murder at the Studio (first broadcast 1 April 1997) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Stephen Craven for the murder of Penny Laing at the Studio Nightclub, Newcastle upon Tyne
- 1998
- Murder on the M25 (first broadcast 25 March 1998) - reinvestigation of the convictions of Raphael Rowe, Michael Davis, and Randolph Johnson (the "M25 ThreeM25 ThreeThe M25 Three were Raphael George Rowe, Michael George Davis, and Randolph Egbert Johnson, who were jailed for life at the Old Bailey in March 1990 after being found guilty of murder and robbery. The name was taken from the location of the crimes, which were committed around the M25, London's...
") for the murder of Peter Hurburgh at ChelshamChelshamChelsham is a village in Surrey in the borough of Tandridge. It is within the civil parish of Chelsham and Farleigh.The village lay within the Anglo-Saxon administrative division of Tandridge hundred....
, SurreySurreySurrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, in December 1988. - The Jigsaw Murder (first broadcast 2 June 1998) - a reinvestigation of the 1977 convictions of Reg Dudley and Bob Maynard for the murders of Micky Cornwall and Billy Moseley. Lasting 135 days, it had been the longest murder trial in British history.
- Murder on the M25 (first broadcast 25 March 1998) - reinvestigation of the convictions of Raphael Rowe, Michael Davis, and Randolph Johnson (the "M25 Three
- 1999
- The Price of Friendship (first broadcast 2 June 1999) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Martin O'Halloran for the murder of Thomas Walker at LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1976. - Ruth Ellis: A Life for a Life (first broadcast 28 November 1999) - reinvestigation and reconstruction of the trial and conviction of Ruth EllisRuth EllisRuth Ellis , née Neilson, was the last woman to be executed in the United Kingdom. She was convicted of the murder of her lover, David Blakely, and hanged at Holloway Prison, London, by Albert Pierrepoint.-Biography:...
revealing evidence which was ignored by the authorities and which might have saved her.
- The Price of Friendship (first broadcast 2 June 1999) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Martin O'Halloran for the murder of Thomas Walker at London
- 2002
- If the Cap Fits (first broadcast 6 January 2002) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Oliver Campbell for the murder of Baldee Hoondle during a robbery in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in July 1990.
- If the Cap Fits (first broadcast 6 January 2002) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Oliver Campbell for the murder of Baldee Hoondle during a robbery in London
- 2004
- Death On Camera (first broadcast 14 April 2004) - reinvestigation of the circumstances of the death of former British Army paratrooper Christopher AlderDeath of Christopher AlderChristopher Ibikunle Alder was a trainee computer programmer and former British Army paratrooper who had been decorated for his service with the Army in Northern Ireland. He died while in police custody at Queen's Gardens Police Station, Kingston upon Hull, in April 1998. The case became a cause...
in police custody at Queen's Gardens police station, Kingston upon HullKingston upon HullKingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
, in 1998. Alder was left on the floor of the station for 11 minutes and choked to death on his own blood and vomit while police officers stood around him speculating that he was faking illness.
- Death On Camera (first broadcast 14 April 2004) - reinvestigation of the circumstances of the death of former British Army paratrooper Christopher Alder
- 2005
- Murder Without A Trace (first broadcast 24 March 2005) - reinvestigation of the convictions of Barri White and Keith Hyatt. White was convicted of murder and Hyatt of perverting the course of justice after Rachel Manning's body was found at Woburn Golf and Country ClubWoburn Golf and Country ClubWoburn Golf and Country Club is located near Milton Keynes in England, about fifty miles north of central London. There are three courses, the "Duke's Course" which opened in 1976, the "Duchess Course", which followed in 1978, and the "Marquess Course", which dates from 2000...
, Milton KeynesMilton KeynesMilton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
, in December 2000.
- Murder Without A Trace (first broadcast 24 March 2005) - reinvestigation of the convictions of Barri White and Keith Hyatt. White was convicted of murder and Hyatt of perverting the course of justice after Rachel Manning's body was found at Woburn Golf and Country Club
- 2007
- The Innocents' Brief (first broadcast 12 April 2007) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Simon Hall for the murder of 79-year-old Joan Albert in Capel St. MaryCapel St. MaryCapel St. Mary – commonly known as Capel – is a village in Suffolk, England. It is about southwest of Ipswich and from Dedham Vale, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.-Early history:...
, SuffolkSuffolkSuffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, December 2001.
- The Innocents' Brief (first broadcast 12 April 2007) - reinvestigation of the conviction of Simon Hall for the murder of 79-year-old Joan Albert in Capel St. Mary
Retrial by TV: The Rise and Fall of Rough Justice
As part of the BBC FourBBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
Justice Season focusing on the state of justice in Britain, a programme called Retrial by TV: The Rise and Fall of Rough Justice aired on 3 April 2011 and examined the creation of the series, its relationship with the charity JUSTICE
JUSTICE
JUSTICE is a human rights and law reform organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is the British section of the International Commission of Jurists, the international human rights organisation of lawyers devoted to the legal protection of human rights worldwide...
, and its troubled relations with the UK judiciary (as characterised by criticisms by law lords Denning
Alfred Denning, Baron Denning
Alfred Thompson "Tom" Denning, Baron Denning, OM, PC, DL, KC , commonly known as Lord Denning, was a British soldier, mathematician, lawyer and judge. He gained degrees in mathematics and law at Oxford University, although his studies were disrupted by his service in the First World War...
and Lane
Geoffrey Lane, Baron Lane
Geoffrey Dawson Lane, Baron Lane AFC PC QC was a British Judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of England from 1980 to 1992. The later part of his term was marred by a succession of disputed convictions...
), the police, the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
and the governors of the BBC.