The Commission’s role is to investigate and review cases where it is alleged that a miscarriage of justice may have occurred in relation to conviction, sentence or both. The Commission was the first statutory body in the world created to investigate possible miscarriages of justice and, where appropriate, to refer cases back to the appeal courts.

Five new Commissioners have been appointed for a term of 5 years starting in September 2017.

The new Commissioners:

Rachel Ellis

Ms Ellis is currently an Ombudsman with the Financial Ombudsman Service working within the jurisdiction division of the Service. She has worked in a number of areas within the Service and has been involved in training adjudicators, external liaison and making policy decisions. Ms Ellis previously worked as a criminal barrister and was instructed to act on behalf of both the prosecution and defence in a comprehensive range of criminal proceedings. She represented a diverse range of clients including youths and clients with mental health problems and appeared in sensitive cases including sexual offences. During her time in Chambers, Ms Ellis also undertook a secondment with the Regulatory Team at the Nursing and Midwifery Council. This involved regularly appearing for the Council in complex and sensitive cases before the Conduct and Competence Committee and the Health Committee.

Jill Gramann JP

Mrs Gramann currently serves on the Sentencing Council of England and Wales as the lay judicial member. She has been a Justice of the Peace since 1990 and has held a number of posts within the magistracy including three years as a bench chairman. She was also a Non-Executive Director of Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust until July 2017 with specific portfolio responsibilities for adult mental health and patient and carer experience. Mrs Gramann has previously held posts as a Director and Trustee of disability charities BILD (British Institute of Learning Disability) and SCOPE. By profession, Mrs Gramann was a market research consultant with her own business for 30 years providing strategic guidance to both public and private sector organisations.

Linda Lee

Ms Lee is a solicitor specialising in regulatory and disciplinary law at national law firm Radcliffes Le Brasseur. Ms Lee is a Past President of the Law Society of England and Wales (2010-11) and is a Law Society Council Member. She has held various key roles at the Law Society including Chair of the Representation and Legal Affairs and Policy Board and Regulatory Affairs Board and is currently the Chair of the Regulatory Process Committee. She is a member of the Audit Committee and the Access to Justice Committee. She is also Chair of the Solicitors Assistance Scheme which provides advice and assistance to solicitors facing disciplinary proceedings. Ms Lee is a legal chair for the Taxation Disciplinary Board, the Phone-paid Services Authority, the Family Health Services Appeals Unit of the NHS Litigation Authority and the General Medical Council. She is also an independent panel member for HS2. She lectures and writes on legal and regulatory issues and is a director of the Incorporated Council of Law Reporting.

Jennifer Portway

Ms Portway is currently an Independent Member and Panel Chair on the Parole Board, a Specialist Member of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeal Tribunal, an Independent Member of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (Fitness to Practise hearings) and a Volunteer Member on Police Misconduct Hearings. Ms Portway is a solicitor (currently non-practising) and has previously held posts with the Crown Prosecution Service including Senior Crown Prosecutor and Senior Policy Adviser (national lead for victims and witnesses).

Robert Ward CBE QC

Mr Ward is a barrister who has had an extensive career as a Government Lawyer. Most recently Mr Ward led the legal branch at the Ministry of Defence during a period of substantial change and expansion. His specialism is national security law and he has participated in its development on a national and international basis. Prior to entering government service, Mr Ward was in independent practice and taught Criminal, Constitutional and Public Law at the University of Cambridge. He is co-author of a leading text book on sexual offences law and practice.

These appointments are subject to security clearance.

Government has increased the amount of fraud it has prevented and detected since 2014, a report published by the Cabinet Office says.

The CMA is consulting on Origin’s proposal to maintain competition in fertiliser supply in Scotland, following its merger with Bunn.

Collision between passenger train and loaded trollies near Clapham, North Yorkshire, 24 August 2017.

• Climate Change and Industry Minister Claire Perry has today announced the launch of MERIDIAN – a new co-ordination hub for connected autonomous vehicle (CAV) technologies testing.
• Government investment, matched by industry, will create the world’s most effective CAV testing cluster in the UK’s automotive and technology heartlands between Coventry and London.
• MERIDIAN will cement the UK’s status as the go-to destination for development of CAV and new vehicle technologies.

Climate Change and Industry Minister Claire Perry has today (Thursday 7 September) launched MERIDIAN, a new government-backed and industry-led brand for the development of connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) technology in the UK.

MERIDIAN, funded jointly by the government’s flagship £100m CAV investment programme and by industry, will create a cluster of excellence in driverless car testing, along the M40 corridor between Coventry and London, to accelerate the development of this technology, grow intellectual capital and attract overseas investment in the UK.

A key part of the Industrial Strategy commitment to develop world-class CAV testing facilities and infrastructure, the launch of the MERIDIAN brand follows a call for evidence by the Centre of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) in May 2016 into how the UK can integrate and strengthen its CAV testing facilities and to consider the case for a test bed to provide a focus for the industry.

Responses to the consultation were published in March, reflected broad industry support from the Automotive Council, among other sectors and companies, for coordinating the UK’s existing testing facilities and for Government funding to support this work.

Climate Change and Industry Minister Claire Perry said:

At the heart of our Industrial Strategy is a commitment to delivering world class science, research and innovation. The MERIDIAN co-ordination hub embodies this ambition, creating a globally recognisable brand that will bring the automotive sector, academia and Government together behind a common set of strategic goals.

A report we are publishing today predicts that by 2035 the global market for CAV technologies will be worth £907 billion, and through government investment and collaboration with industry in this area we will ensure that the UK becomes one of the global ‘go to’ destinations for the development of this technology.

With bases at the Coventry and Stratford branches of the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), MERIDIAN will bring together the UK’s existing CAV testing centres to create a concentrated cluster of testing facilities that covers all testing requirements for CAV technology. Analysis has identified that through the hub, the UK has a unique opportunity to focus on four strategically important areas:

• advanced CAV testing and development;
• connected environments;
• data and cyber security; and
• new mobility services

Ford Director of Global Vehicle Evaluation and Verification and Chair of the Auto Council Technology Group, Graham Hoare said:

These technologies are coming and will profoundly change our understanding of mobility. The UK has long-standing capabilities across many of the sectors supporting new vehicle technologies and an approach that is more open and collaborative than other markets.

We recognise that these exciting new technologies are broader than the automotive sector and we welcome the different ideas and perspectives that this brings. We look forward to working with MERIDIAN to develop, articulate, and amplify our national offer.

The government has also today published its Centre for Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) Global Market Value report which predicts the global market for CAV technology could be worth £907bn in 2035. The report sets out a number of interesting findings and future predictions for the industry:

• By establishing a leadership position for the UK in CAV technologies could see the UK market reach £52bn by 2035
• By 2035 the UK will have over 27,000 jobs involved in the production of CAV technology, including thousands of new highly skilled jobs in the auto sector
• 70% of the jobs related to CAV technology production are estimated to be highly-skilled professional and technical roles in software-related industries