Joint enterprise decision likely to lead to appeals

The supreme court has ruled that the key test imposed by judges, for the past 30 years, to assess guilt in so-called joint enterprise killings has been wrongly interpreted, reports The Guardian.

As a result of this decision it is expected that many of those convicted will now apply to the court of appeal. It has been estimated that around 500 people have been found guilty of murder between 2005 and 2013 as secondary parties in joint-enterprise cases, with many recorded as gang-related attacks.

You can read more in the recent study by Patrick Williams and Becky Clarke, commissioned by the Centre.

Commenting on the ruling, the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies director, Richard Garside, said:

'The use of joint enterprise laws to convict innocent members of the public has resulted in many miscarriages of justice. This ruling is a vindication for the many family members, and the campaign group JENGbA, who have done so much to challenge joint enterprise convictions.

'The long task of overturning the many wrongful convictions must now begin.'