Double Jeopardy Law

• The Double Jeopardy Law is an example of an individual campaign which affected policy making.
• Context:

  Can lead to injustice - e.g in the case of Julie Hogg 

  • Julie was murdered in the 1980s and Dunlop was charged with the crime.
  • However, after the juries’ failure to reach a verdict, he was acquitted. In later years, he admitted to the police to the murder after being imprisoned again.
• The double jeopardy law stops people being tried again for a crime of which they have been found not guilty. It is a law to prevent injustice as it ensures fairness by ending the state's repeated attempts to prosecute someone until they finally secure a conviction.
• Ann Ming campaigned for change by calling on politicians and using the press (e.g. TV and radio) to publicise the case.
• Success:

  Ann’s campaign influenced the 2003 Criminal Justice Act which permitted certain serious crimes such as murder and rape to be retried.
• Discussion/Limitation:

  Retrial can only take place if ‘new and compelling evidence’ emerges and if it is authorised by the Director of Public Prosecutions. Only one retrial is permitted.