Frank Johnson

EDM number 1523 in 2001-02, proposed by Kevin McNamara on 27/06/2002.

That this House welcomes the decision of the Appeal Court to quash the conviction of Irishman Frank Johnson and order his release from prison after 26 years; notes that police failure to disclose vital evidence and poor legal representation were again issues at the heart of this injustice; pays tribute to the dedicated work of those members of the Irish community and others who have campaigned to bring this miscarriage of justice to light; regrets that even after the CCRC discovered new evidence it took several years for the case to reach the Court of Appeal; notes that owing to a failure to provide for victims of miscarriages of justice, Frank Johnson was freed from prison with no pre-release preparation, no pension, no aftercare or miscarriage-specific psychiatric assistance; recognises the single-minded determination of Frank Johnson to assert his innocence and regrets that rules governing a prisoner's eligibility for parole may extend the period of detention for a person maintaining their innocence far beyond their original tariff; and urges the Government to address these concerns.

This motion has been signed by a total of 18 MPs.