Public sector staff investigating potential miscarriages of justice are going into the office just twice a year, The Telegraph can reveal.
The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) scrutinises the convictions of people who believe they were wrongfully sentenced or found guilty.
Despite handling such serious and sensitive work, the organisation describes itself as “remote-first”, with few employees attending its headquarters in central Birmingham regularly.
The commission’s chairman is already facing losing her job over its handling of the wrongful rape conviction of Andrew Malkinson.
Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, said it was “concerning” the organisation had such a “loose operating model” that allowed staff to “rarely” go into the office.
The Telegraph has been exposing how many workers are continuing to work from home in both the public and private sectors, which experts have argued is a cost to productivity and the economy as a whole.
A website advertising jobs at the CCRC tells prospective candidates: “As a remote-first organisation the majority of our staff work from home, travelling to the office a couple of times a year on average.
“This means that you can work anywhere in the UK.”
CCRC leadership under pressure
The commission is currently hiring for a head of investigations, which the job description states will be “based at home”, with some required travel across the country.
Working from home is listed as one of the “benefits” a successful candidate can “look forward to”, with candidates told: “Remote working (anywhere in the UK) – we will supply all the kit you need to work from home comfortably and safely.”
It comes as the CCRC’s leadership is under pressure following the case of Mr Malkinson, who spent 17 years in jail over a rape he did not commit.
Mr Malkinson, who was released from prison in 2020 and only had his conviction quashed in July 2023, twice applied for his case to be referred for appeal by the CCRC, but was turned down.
Following a review that found that Mr Malkinson had been “failed” by the commission, Lord Chancellor and Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, said that she was seeking to remove CCRC chair Helen Pitcher.
It is understood that the decision over Ms Pitcher’s future is now in the hands of an independent panel, which will go on to make a recommendation on whether she should keep her position.
The commission has now been told to look back over all cases which have the “possibility of DNA opportunities”, with thousands expected to be reviewed.
Most appellants have already lost an appeal before the CCRC examines their case. However, if staff can uncover new evidence or failings in the conviction process, then the organisation may send the conviction back to the Court of Appeal.
Only an appeal court can ultimately decide if a conviction is unsafe.
‘Indicative of a broader problem’
The commission, an independent public body funded by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) receives around 1,500 applications for reviews each year.
It has referred around 3 per cent of applications to the appeal courts since it was founded.
Mr Jenrick said: “The CCRC handles the most sensitive cases.
“It is concerning that they are operating such a loose operating model, rarely even going into the office.
“This is indicative of a broader problem, with unconscionably long delays in our courts and the system not even operating at the capacity the Lady Chief Justice has said is available.”
It comes as Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures showed on Thursday that court backlogs have risen to around 73,000 cases, which is nearly double the pre-pandemic number of 38,000.
The Lady Chief Justice has previously criticised the Government’s decision not to fund crown courts to operate at maximum capacity.
A CCRC spokesperson said: “We are a remote working organisation. Remote working allows us to recruit high-calibre staff from across the UK.
“Technology allows our staff to work safely, securely and effectively from home, and they are provided with the equipment they need to do this.
“A small number of staff work in our Birmingham office each day and others visit as needed.”