We received a petition asking:
“We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to look again at the 1955 Ruth Ellis case in light of new evidence that the Old Bailey in 1955 never got to hear. Evidence that shows Ruth Ellis was innocent of the crime for which she was hanged.”
Details of Petition:
“A body of evidence has been uncovered that the jury at the 1955 trial never got to hear. Evidence showing that Ruth Ellis was a victim of a gross miscarriage of justice.The true sequence of events surrounding the case fifty years ago were witheld. The Prime Minister should look again at the Ruth Ellis case so justice for Ruth and her family can finally be served.”
The Government’s response:
By constitutional convention, the Justice Secretary is responsible, in England and Wales, for recommending to Her Majesty the exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy to grant a Free Pardon. However, only the courts have the power to quash a conviction.
The Justice Secretary’s power to grant a posthumous Free Pardon can only be used in extremely rare circumstances – in modern times, only one such Pardon has been recommended.
More widely, the Government’s powers to consider alleged miscarriages of justice came to an end on 31 March 1997, and were replaced by new powers vested in the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC). The CCRC will consider reviewing an application, even where a review has been undertaken in the past and, as in the case of Ruth Ellis, the application referred to the Court of Appeal, where there is new evidence not considered at the earlier review. It is open to you to submit a new application to the CCRC setting out any new evidence that you have discovered.
The CCRC have the power to refer the case to the Court of Appeal again or advise the Justice Secretary in regard to a recommendation for a pardon.
