Andrew Malkinson, who was exonerated last year after spending 17 years in prison for a rape he did not commit, has said that his fight to reform the legal system is far from over.
Mr Malkinson, 59, had his conviction overturned in 2023 after years of maintaining his innocence. He told The Sunday Times that his “life was desolated” by the wrongful conviction, and that he is determined to change the justice system, starting with the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).
“I haven’t finished. I want to change a lot more,” he said. “It’s a good feeling that something so dreadful and tragic is leading to real change.”
His comments come as Dame Vera Baird KC is set to become the interim chairwoman of the CCRC.
The barrister will take up the post from June 9 until December 8 next year, and is tasked with carrying out an urgent review into the running of the independent body and ensuring that lessons have been learned from previous cases.
Mr Malkinson said he remained “incandescent” at the CCRC, as well as the Government’s compensation scheme, which makes it difficult for wrongly-convicted people to receive payouts.
“This is an assault on innocent people,” he said.
“It’s an assault on the public, because any member of the public could end up where I was. Anybody could be the next victim, because there will be more.”
Despite having his conviction quashed in 2023, he had to wait until February to get his first compensation payment.
Mr Malkinson had been living on benefits and food banks from his release until then.
Under the 2014 Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, payments are only awarded to people who can prove innocence beyond a reasonable doubt.
Ministry of Justice data showed that only 6.5% of people who had applied for compensation due to a miscarriage of justice between April 2016 and March 2024 were awarded payouts. Of 591 people who applied, 39 were granted compensation.
Figures showed that 35 have since received money, with average amounts totalling £68,000.
In a statement in February, lawyer Toby Wilton welcomed the payment, but said the £1 million cap on compensation payouts should be lifted.
This is currently the maximum amount that can be paid to victims of miscarriages of justice who are wrongly jailed for at least 10 years.
“The Government should lift the current cap on compensation, and end the twisted quirk that whilst awards under other compensation schemes are excluded from assessment for benefits,” he said.
