The ongoing conviction of Oliver Campbell for a Hackney murder has been described in a parliamentary meeting as an “outrageous miscarriage of justice”.

Mr Campbell, who is in the middle of a High Court appeal, was among many attendees on Tuesday night (April 16) at an event hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Miscarriages of Justice.

The group was hosting a launch at the Houses of Parliament for legal journal PROOF, which features an article on Mr Campbell’s case.

PROOF editor Jon Robins told the packed meeting: “It’s about time that this outrageous miscarriage of justice was fixed.”

In February, a High Court appeal got underway over Mr Campbell’s 1991 conviction for shooting shopkeeper Baldev Hoondle in a botched robbery.

Hackney Gazette: Glyn Maddocks KC addresses the parliamentary meeting about miscarriages of justice, which attracted so many people that security ordered it be relocated to the biggest committee room in WestminsterGlyn Maddocks KC addresses the parliamentary meeting about miscarriages of justice, which attracted so many people that security ordered it be relocated to the biggest committee room in Westminster (Image: © Andy Aitchison)

Catch up on our reporting on Oliver Campbell's appeal:

The appeal, due to resume in May, heard that a then 19-year-old Mr Campbell, who is brain-damaged, "falsely confessed" after being subjected to “disgraceful”, “bullying” police interviews.

Another man, who admitted involvement in the robbery, claimed repeatedly over the years that Mr Campbell was innocent, even naming the man he said was the real killer – but that was never heard by jurors.

Mr Campbell's is one of what Mr Robins called “really problematic cases” included in the new edition of PROOF.

Others include Andrew Malkinson, who spent 17 years in prison for rape only to be exonerated by DNA, and Jason Moore, who was prosecuted for murder on the word of a single eyewitness who now says he was drunk and may have identified the wrong person.

Tuesday’s meeting began with a video message from Andrew.

“I want my case used as a catalyst for reforms,” he said. “The appeal system doesn’t work, or it’s working very ineffectively.”

Hackney Gazette: Oliver Campbell outside the High Court for his murder appeal in February 2024Oliver Campbell outside the High Court for his murder appeal in February 2024 (Image: Charles Thomson)

The meeting attracted so many guests that parliamentary security ordered it be relocated part way through to the largest committee room in Parliament.

Attendees included Barry Sheerman MP, Andy Slaughter MP and current and former BBC investigative journalists Bronagh Munro, Louise Shorter and Chris Jessel.

Barrister Glyn Maddocks KC, who has represented Mr Campbell pro bono for around 20 years, told the audience: “We are all immensely indebted to Andrew Malkinson for his dignity and generosity of spirit.

“When he had the media’s full attention… he reminded everyone that he was by no means the only one.”

When Andrew walked free from the High Court last year, he wore a t-shirt which said: “Innocent and not the only one”.

The latest edition of PROOF, inspired by that, is titled: “The other ones”.  

Copies, at £15, are available from https://www.thejusticegap.com/shop/