Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC)

The independent body that investigates possible miscarriages of justice and can send a conviction or sentence back to an appeal court.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) is an independent public body that reviews possible miscarriages of justice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Anyone who believes they were wrongly convicted or sentenced can apply, and it is free, although legal help can make an application stronger. You should normally have tried to appeal first; the CCRC can look at a case without an earlier appeal only in exceptional circumstances. It can investigate, obtain documents from public bodies and commission new expert evidence. It refers a case to the Court of Appeal (or, for magistrates' court cases, to the Crown Court) only if it considers there is a real possibility that the conviction or sentence would not be upheld, usually because of new evidence or legal argument not raised before. Most applications are not referred, and reviews can take many months.

Checked as at 25 September 2026. General information only, not legal advice.