17 years for a crime he didn't commit—Andy's fight for justice sparks national reform
Andy Malkinson spent 17 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Despite no forensic evidence linking him to the crime and a clear mismatch with the suspect's description, the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) twice rejected his appeals.
“I want to thank the more than 162,000 of you who signed my petition calling for an apology from the case review body which needlessly perpetuated by wrongful conviction and forced me to spent extra years in prison for a crime I did not commit.”
Andrew Malkinson, petition starterIt wasn't until the legal charity APPEAL conducted new DNA testing and unearthed crucial evidence that Andy's conviction was finally overturned in July 2023.
Determined to hold the CCRC accountable, Andy launched a petition on Change.org demanding an apology and a comprehensive review of their failings. The public responded overwhelmingly, with over 162,000 people signing in support. This pressure led to the Justice Secretary announcing a full independent inquiry into Andy's wrongful conviction, scrutinising the actions of the police, prosecution, and the CCRC.
In April 2024, the CCRC Chair issued an unreserved apology to Andy, acknowledging the organisation's failures. While this apology came too late to return the years Andy lost, it marked a significant step towards reforming the system to prevent such miscarriages of justice in the future.
Check out the petition to see how it became so successful.