Police, courts and the British justice system
Wrongful convictions, Hillsborough, the Post Office Horizon scandal and other failures in British policing and courts.
The Birmingham Six 1975–1991
Wrongful conviction
Six men imprisoned for the Birmingham pub bombings had their convictions quashed.
The Guildford Four 1975–1989
Wrongful conviction
Convictions based on unreliable evidence and police misconduct were overturned.
The Maguire Seven 1976–1991
Wrongful conviction
Seven convictions connected to alleged explosives offences were quashed.
The Bridgewater Four 1979–1997
Wrongful conviction
Convictions in a notorious murder case collapsed after serious questions about the evidence.
The Cardiff Three 1990–1992
Wrongful conviction
Three men were cleared of Lynette White's murder after their convictions were found unsafe.
Stefan Kiszko 1976–1992
Wrongful conviction
A man imprisoned for murdering a child was exonerated after forensic evidence exposed the wrongful conviction.
Sally Clark 1999–2003
Wrongful conviction
A mother convicted of murdering her babies was cleared after serious problems with expert evidence.
Angela Cannings 2002–2003
Wrongful conviction
Her convictions for killing two babies were overturned after medical evidence was challenged.
Barry George 2001–2008
Wrongful conviction
His conviction for Jill Dando's murder was quashed, and he was acquitted at retrial.
Andrew Malkinson 2004–2023
Wrongful conviction
DNA evidence helped overturn a rape conviction after nearly two decades.
The Post Office Horizon scandal 1999–2024
Institutional failure
Sub-postmasters were blamed for accounting shortfalls despite flaws in the computer system.
Post Office Capture software 1990s–2025
Institutional failure
A later review identified a reasonable likelihood that an earlier accounting system had created apparent shortfalls.
Hillsborough 1989–2016
Cover-up
Police accounts blaming supporters were undermined by independent investigations and new inquests that found unlawful killing.
Orgreave policing 1984–2020s
Disputed official account
Serious allegations about police conduct and evidence during the miners' strike have remained contested; a criminal cover-up has not been established by an equivalent final inquiry finding.
The Stephen Lawrence murder investigation 1993–1999
Institutional failure
The Macpherson Inquiry exposed grave investigative failings and institutional racism.
The Daniel Morgan murder investigation 1987–2021
Institutional failure
An independent panel found institutional corruption connected to failures to investigate the killing properly.
The Met Police undercover relationships scandal 1968–2020s
Institutional failure
Covert officers entered intimate relationships with people they were monitoring, prompting investigations and legal redress.
The wrongful treatment of the Shrewsbury 24 1970s–2021
Wrongful conviction
Convictions arising from industrial-dispute picketing were quashed after evidence about unfairness emerged.
The David Oluwale case 1969–1970s
Institutional failure
The death of a homeless Nigerian man in Leeds exposed serious police abuse and resulted in convictions of police officers for assault.
The unlawful use of parts of stop-and-search powers 2010
Legal reversal
The European Court of Human Rights found the UK's broad, suspicionless terrorism stop-and-search regime lacked adequate safeguards.
Last reviewed: 12 November 2026.