The Criminal Cases Review Commission, which investigates possible miscarriages of justice, closed 1,012 cases against an intake of 938 applications in 2005-2006, according to its annual report.

It referred 46 cases to the appeal court in the year, of which 32 (70%) resulted in a quashed conviction or varied sentence. On a less positive note, the report also noted that waiting times for most longer and more complex cases have increased. The commission underwent a major change programme in the year to improve its casework processes.