Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008

Compensation for miscarriages of justice

22 (1) Section 61(3) has effect in relation to any application for compensation made in relation to—

(a) a conviction which is reversed, and

(b) a pardon which is given,

on or after the commencement date.

(2) Section 61(4), (6) and (7) have effect in relation to—

(a) any application for compensation made on or after the commencement date, and

(b) any application for compensation made before that date in relation to which the question whether there is a right to compensation has not been determined before that date by the Secretary of State under section 133(3) of the 1988 Act.

(3) Section 61(5) has effect in relation to any conviction quashed on an appeal out of time in respect of which an application for compensation has not been made before the commencement date.

(4) Section 61(5) so has effect whether a conviction was quashed before, on or after the commencement date.

(5) In the case of—

(a) a conviction which is reversed, or

(b) a pardon which is given,

before the commencement date but in relation to which an application for compensation has not been made before that date, any such application must be made before the end of the period of 2 years beginning with that date.

(6) But the Secretary of State may direct that an application for compensation in relation to a case falling within sub-paragraph (5) which is made after the end of that period is to be treated as if it had been made before the end of that period if the Secretary of State considers that there are exceptional circumstances which justify doing so.

(7) In this paragraph—

• “the 1988 Act” means the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (c. 33);

• “application for compensation” means an application for compensation made under section 133(2) of the 1988 Act;

• “the commencement date” means the date on which section 61 comes into force;

• “reversed” has the same meaning as in section 133 of the 1988 Act (as amended by section 61(5)).