This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37821764
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Judges reject 'joint enterprise' challenge | Judges reject 'joint enterprise' challenge |
(35 minutes later) | |
Judges have refused to overturn guilty verdicts in a "joint enterprise" challenge by men convicted of group attack murders. | Judges have refused to overturn guilty verdicts in a "joint enterprise" challenge by men convicted of group attack murders. |
The test cases were brought after the Supreme Court ruled in February the law had wrongly been interpreted for more than 30 years. | |
The challenges followed the decision that it was wrong to treat "foresight" as a sufficient test to convict a defendant under joint enterprise. | |
It paved the way for the first appeals. | |
The decision to reject the cases was met with cries of protest by supporters of the men sitting in the public gallery at the Court of Appeal. | |
'Whole evidence' | |
The joint enterprise law has been used to convict people in gang-related cases if defendants could have foreseen violent acts by their associates. | |
In February the Supreme Court said that this was being misinterpreted and juries had to decide on the "whole evidence". | |
In his judgement, Lord Neuberger said the ruling did not automatically mean all previous joint enterprise convictions were unsafe. | |
Campaigners said the change would make the law fairer, but some murder victims' relatives said they were worried about possible appeals. |