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{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2014}}
⚫ '''The Right hon. Sir John May''' was a former ] judge appointed by the British Government to investigate the miscarriages of justice related to the ] and other miscarriages of justice linked to ] bombing offences<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,1816816,00.html|title=NatWest Three puzzle|accessdate=2007-08-09 |author=Marcel Berlins |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=2006-10-07 |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Guardian Unlimited|pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= }}</ref>.
{{Use British English|date=June 2014}}
⚫ '''Sir John Douglas May''', ] (28 June 1923 – 15 January 1997) was a British ] judge appointed by the British Government to investigate the miscarriages of justice related to the ] and other miscarriages linked to ] bombing offences.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/story/0,,1816816,00.html|title=NatWest Three puzzle|accessdate=9 August 2007|author=Marcel Berlins|date=7 October 2006|publisher=Guardian Unlimited}}</ref>


May was educated at ]<ref>"Clifton College Register" Muirhead, J.A.O. p501: Bristol; J.W Arrowsmith for Old Cliftonian Society; April 1948.</ref> and ], where he was a Scholar. During ], he served with the ]. He was ] by the ] in 1947 and ] in 1965. He was appointed to the ] and assigned to the ] in 1972, receiving the customary ]. In 1982, he was made a ] and made a ], serving until 1989.
⚫ On 20 October 1989 following the quashing of the ] convictions , May was appointed to inquire into both that and the related case of the Maguire Seven<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.aic.gov.au/conferences/medicine/schurr.pdf |title= Expert Witnesses And The Duties Of Disclosure & Impartiality: The Lessons Of The IRA Cases In England. |accessdate=2007-08-05 |author= Beverley Schurr |authorlink= NSW Legal Aid Commission |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=|pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= }}</ref>. On 12 July 1990, the ] ] published the interim report
⚫ *''Interim Report on the Maguire Case : The Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the convictions arising out of the bomb attacks in Guildford and Woolwich in 1974''<ref> </ref>


== Maguire Seven inquiry ==
⚫ The report criticised the trial judge ]. It unearthed improprieties in the handling of scientific evidence that were also relevant to the other cases and declared the convictions unsound and recommended referral back to the Court of Appeal.
⚫ On 20 October 1989 following the quashing of the ] convictions, May was appointed to chair an inquiry into both that case and the related case of the Maguire Seven.<ref name="expwit">{{cite web|url=http://netk.net.au/UK/Schurr.pdf|title= Expert Witnesses And The Duties Of Disclosure & Impartiality: The Lessons Of The IRA Cases In England|accessdate=2019-07-05|first=Beverley|last=Schurr|website=NetK.net.au|publisher=NSW Legal Aid Commission|date=1993}}</ref>


⚫ On 12 July 1990, the ] ] published the interim report, ''Interim Report on the Maguire Case: The Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the convictions arising out of the bomb attacks in Guildford and Woolwich in 1974''.<ref></ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/hc8990/hc05/0556/0556.pdf|title=Sir John May Interim Report 1989}}</ref>
⚫ ==RARDE scientific tests==
The Inquiry found that ] scientists Elliott and Higgs had lied and suppressed evidence at the trials of both ] and the Maguire Seven<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.aic.gov.au/conferences/medicine/schurr.pdf |title= Expert Witnesses And The Duties Of Disclosure & Impartiality: The Lessons Of The IRA Cases In England. |accessdate=2007-08-05 |author= Beverley Schurr |authorlink= NSW Legal Aid Commission |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=|pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= }}</ref>. They knew but did not say that a positive result was not unique for nitroglycerine. They did not disclose, even to the prosecution, negative secondary tests.


⚫ The report criticised the trial judge ]. It unearthed improprieties in the handling of scientific evidence that were relevant to the other cases and declared the convictions unsound and recommended referral back to the Court of Appeal.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}
⚫ ==Royal Commission on Criminal Justice==

⚫ On 14 March 1991, the inquiry became the ] covering the systemic problems uncovered earlier.The commission was chaired by ].
The scientific work in examining the failings of the original forensic work leading to the convictions was undertaken by the "West" Committee led by Professor ] CBE FRS and the findings published in 1992 in Sir John May's report to the House of Commons entitled the Second Maguire report.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/hc9293/hc02/0296/0296.pdf|title=1992 Sir John May, 2nd Maguire report into Guilford and Woolwich Bombings|accessdate=7 April 2016}}</ref>

⚫ ===RARDE scientific tests===
The Inquiry found that ] scientists Walter Elliott and Douglas Higgs had lied and suppressed evidence at the trials of ] and the Maguire Seven.<ref name="expwit"/>

The terms of reference of the initial inquiry were expanded, as a result, to include
*The preparation of court evidence by expert witnesses
*The advance disclosure of scientific findings
*The authorisation of prosecutions based on scientific evidence
*Home Office assessment of scientific evidence after miscarriage claims

⚫ ===Royal Commission on Criminal Justice===
⚫ On 14 March 1991, the inquiry became the ] covering the systemic problems uncovered earlier. The commission was chaired by ].{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}

==Judgments==
*'']'' EWCA Civ 32 - case on ] which amended the precedent set by '']''.


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist}}
<references/>

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Latest revision as of 08:37, 16 January 2024

Sir John Douglas May, PC (28 June 1923 – 15 January 1997) was a British Court of Appeal judge appointed by the British Government to investigate the miscarriages of justice related to the Maguire Seven and other miscarriages linked to IRA bombing offences.

May was educated at Clifton College and Balliol College, Oxford, where he was a Scholar. During World War II, he served with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. He was called to the bar by the Inner Temple in 1947 and took silk in 1965. He was appointed to the High Court and assigned to the Queen's Bench Division in 1972, receiving the customary knighthood. In 1982, he was made a Lord Justice of Appeal and made a Privy Counsellor, serving until 1989.

Maguire Seven inquiry

On 20 October 1989 following the quashing of the Guildford Four convictions, May was appointed to chair an inquiry into both that case and the related case of the Maguire Seven.

On 12 July 1990, the Home Secretary David Waddington published the interim report, Interim Report on the Maguire Case: The Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the convictions arising out of the bomb attacks in Guildford and Woolwich in 1974.

The report criticised the trial judge Lord Donaldson of Lymington. It unearthed improprieties in the handling of scientific evidence that were relevant to the other cases and declared the convictions unsound and recommended referral back to the Court of Appeal.

The scientific work in examining the failings of the original forensic work leading to the convictions was undertaken by the "West" Committee led by Professor Thomas Summers West CBE FRS and the findings published in 1992 in Sir John May's report to the House of Commons entitled the Second Maguire report.

RARDE scientific tests

The Inquiry found that RARDE scientists Walter Elliott and Douglas Higgs had lied and suppressed evidence at the trials of Judith Ward and the Maguire Seven.

The terms of reference of the initial inquiry were expanded, as a result, to include

  • The preparation of court evidence by expert witnesses
  • The advance disclosure of scientific findings
  • The authorisation of prosecutions based on scientific evidence
  • Home Office assessment of scientific evidence after miscarriage claims

Royal Commission on Criminal Justice

On 14 March 1991, the inquiry became the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice covering the systemic problems uncovered earlier. The commission was chaired by Viscount Runciman of Doxford.

Judgments

References

  1. Marcel Berlins (7 October 2006). "NatWest Three puzzle". Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 9 August 2007.
  2. "Clifton College Register" Muirhead, J.A.O. p501: Bristol; J.W Arrowsmith for Old Cliftonian Society; April 1948.
  3. ^ Schurr, Beverley (1993). "Expert Witnesses And The Duties Of Disclosure & Impartiality: The Lessons Of The IRA Cases In England" (PDF). NetK.net.au. NSW Legal Aid Commission. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  4. Hansard Debates 12 July 1990
  5. "Sir John May Interim Report 1989" (PDF).
  6. "1992 Sir John May, 2nd Maguire report into Guilford and Woolwich Bombings" (PDF). Retrieved 7 April 2016.
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