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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| 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 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. | 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. | It paved the way for the first appeals. |
| The test cases involved 13 men convicted in six separate crimes. | |
| The decision to reject their cases was met with cries of protest by supporters of the men sitting in the public gallery at the Court of Appeal. | |
| There were shouts of "no justice, no peace" when Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas made the judgement. | |
| One case challenged the safety of the convictions of Tyler Burton and Nicholas Terrelonge, who were found guilty of murdering Ashley Latty in a group attack in Dagenham, east London in May 2014. | |
| Rejecting the appeal, Lord Thomas said the Supreme Court judgement would "not have made a difference" to the jury's verdict in the trial and the convictions "were and are safe". | |
| The joint enterprise law has been used to convict people in gang-related cases if defendants could have foreseen violent acts by their associates. | 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 February the Supreme Court said that this was being misinterpreted and juries had to decide on the "whole evidence". |
| The ruling applies to England, Wales, Northern Ireland and most UK overseas common law territories but not in Scotland, which has its own rules on joint enterprise. | |
| In his judgement, Lord Neuberger said the decision 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. | Campaigners said the change would make the law fairer, but some murder victims' relatives said they were worried about possible appeals. |