Rettendon Murders

The request was refused by Criminal Cases Review Commission.

Dear Criminal Cases Review Commission,

Can I please have confirmation whether the case of Jack Wholmes and Michael Steele will be under review for non disclosure of evidence during original trial of the Rettendon Murders on 06/12/1995 ?

Has a date been fixed for the commission review of the case and when ?

Yours faithfully,
MS

DPO, Criminal Cases Review Commission

 

Dear Mo Soudy,

 

Thank you for your request for information, received by the CCRC on
06.09.21.

 

Your request is being dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (FOIA). Please note there is a twenty working day
limit (starting from the day after the request is received) in which we
are required to respond to requests under the FOIA.

 

The deadline for your request is 04.10.21.

 

Kind regards

 

Information Team

CCRC

 

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DPO, Criminal Cases Review Commission

Dear Mo Soudy,

 

We write in response to your recent information request under the Freedom
of Information Act 2000 (FOIA), made via the WhatDoTheyKnow website on
04.09.21.

 

You ask

 

Can I please have confirmation whether the case of Jack Wholmes and
Michael Steele will be under review for non disclosure of evidence during
original trial of the Rettendon Murders on 06/12/1995 ?

 

Has a date been fixed for the commission review of the case and when ?

 

In Response

 

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) provides some exemptions to the
right to obtain information held by a public body and the most applicable
here is s. 44(1)(a) that says that information is exempt information if
its disclosure […] by the public authority holding it is prohibited by or
under any enactment. The relevant enactment here is s.23 Criminal Appeal
Act 1995 (the Act which established the CCRC and gave it its powers) that
prohibits disclosure of information unless certain criteria are met and
creates a criminal offence if breached. Section 23 clearly applies to the
information you seek and the criteria that would allow us to disclose it
to you are not met. The exemption under s.44 Freedom of Information Act is
engaged.

 

We are unable to comment on the specific matter you enquire about.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Information Team

CCRC

 

If you disagree with our decision or are otherwise unhappy with how we
have dealt with your request, in the first instance you may approach the
Commission’s Data Protection Officer for an internal review by writing to:
DPO, Criminal Cases Review Commission, 23 Stephenson Street, Birmingham,
B2 4BH or email at [1][email address]. Should you remain dissatisfied with
the outcome you have a right under section 50 of the Freedom of
Information Act to appeal against the decision by contacting the
Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF,
Helpline 0303 123 1113, [2][email address]

 

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