Leadership of the Criminal Cases Review Commission

Justice Committee Open Non-inquiry session
Opened: 26 Mar 2025 Parliament page
7 Recommendations
35 Conclusions
1 Report
1 Oral session
3 Letters
1 Event
Activity timeline 7 events
29 Jul
2025
Report published
1 Jul
2025
Correspondence
23 May
2025
Report published
21 May
2025
Correspondence
13 May
2025
Correspondence
29 Apr
2025
Oral evidence
29 Apr
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
29 Apr 2025
View on parliament.uk
Work of the Criminal Cases Review Commission
Amanda Pearce · Criminal Cases Review Commission Karen Kneller · Criminal Cases Review Commission
Title HC No. Published Items Response
3rd Report - Leadership of the Criminal Cases Review Commission HC 749 23 May 2025 42 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
13 results
Clear
10 Recommendation Deferred
3rd Report - Leadership of the Cri…
Explaining CCRC referral decisions would increase transparency and rebuild public trust.
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 … Read more
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
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19 Conclusion Deferred
3rd Report - Leadership of the Cri…
Significant budget reductions and understaffing continue to hinder CCRC's timely investigations.
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 … Read more
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
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24 Conclusion Deferred
3rd Report - Leadership of the Cri…
Current commissioner terms of appointment are insufficient to attract and retain top candidates.
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) Read more
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
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25 Recommendation Deferred
3rd Report - Leadership of the Cri…
Review commissioner terms of appointment to enable greater contribution to CCRC operations.
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
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29 Conclusion Deferred
3rd Report - Leadership of the Cri…
CCRC senior leaders fail to sufficiently challenge Ministry of Justice for necessary resources.
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 … Read more
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
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30 Recommendation Deferred
3rd Report - Leadership of the Cri…
Consider Commission-Ministry of Justice dynamic to foster robust leadership in departmental dealings.
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. … Read more
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
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31 Conclusion Deferred
3rd Report - Leadership of the Cri…
CCRC's fully remote working model poses concerns for complex investigative casework and staff interaction.
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 … Read more
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 the working model is ultimately for the CCRC Chair and Chief Executive to define.
Ministry of Justice
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32 Conclusion Deferred
3rd Report - Leadership of the Cri…
Evaluate fully remote working's impact on CCRC efficiency, casework quality, and staff wellbeing.
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) Read more
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 is ultimately for the CCRC Chair and Chief Executive to define.
Ministry of Justice
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33 Conclusion Deferred
3rd Report - Leadership of the Cri…
CCRC failed to adequately explore alternatives to remote working for recruitment and funding.
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 … Read more
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
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35 Recommendation Deferred
3rd Report - Leadership of the Cri…
Mandate CCRC senior leadership to establish a regular office presence and hybrid model.
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 … Read more
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 is ultimately for the CCRC Chair and Chief Executive to define.
Ministry of Justice
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36 Conclusion Deferred
3rd Report - Leadership of the Cri…
CCRC's effectiveness has significantly deteriorated due to leadership failures and operational issues.
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 … Read more
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
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37 Conclusion Deferred
3rd Report - Leadership of the Cri…
CCRC leadership demonstrated an inability to learn from mistakes and rebuild public trust.
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 … Read more
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 the CCRC's governance, leadership, and operational effectiveness.
Ministry of Justice
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38 Conclusion Deferred
3rd Report - Leadership of the Cri…
CCRC's current structure is failing due to ineffective commissioner and leadership relations.
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 … Read more
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
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Government Response AI assessment · 42 of 7 classified
Accepted 10
Accepted in Part 2
Acknowledged 14
Deferred 13
Not Addressed 1
Rejected 2
Total 7 recs + 35 conclusions
Correspondence 3 letters
1 Jul 2025 Correspondence from the Lord Chancellor, dated 28 June 2025: Terms of Reference for the Interim Chair's Review of the Criminal Cases Review Commission
Parliament page
21 May 2025 Correspondence to Karen Kneller, Chief Executive of the Criminal Cases Review Commission, dated 21 May 2025: Further clarification on 2023/24 'Other Expenditure'
Parliament page
13 May 2025 Correspondence from Karen Kneller, Chief Executive of the Criminal Cases Review Commission and Amanda Pearce, Casework Operations Director at the Criminal Cases Review Commission, dated 13 May 2025 relating to the oral evidence session held on 29 April 2025
Parliament page