In a significant step towards rectifying miscarriages of justice, the UK government has announced that wrongly convicted individuals will no longer have living costs docked from their compensation payments. Justice Secretary Alex Chalk KC implemented the reform with immediate effect on Sunday, following public outrage surrounding the case of Andrew Malkinson.
Andrew Malkinson, who spent 17 years in prison for a rape he did not commit, welcomed the abolishment of the “unjust rule.” Last week, appeal judges quashed his conviction after DNA evidence linked another man to the crime. However, Mr. Malkinson had expressed concerns that expenses could be deducted from any compensation payment he might receive to cover the costs of his wrongful incarceration.
