The Rough Justice Library


The Library is intended to help students of miscarriages of justice. It serves as a repository of books, documents and articles, most of which are out of print. The copyright remains with the authors and publishers of the works - whom we thank for their indulgence.

"Tom Sargant's Autobiography "

This is a unique copy of the life story of Tom Sargant. He died before he finished it - and it was never published. It covers the creation of "Justice" the London-based law reform group that changed the face of British justice.


"Criminal Trials - The search for truth."

A Fabian Pamphlet written by Tom Sargant and Peter Hill in 1987. Much of this is still relevant today. This is one of the documents that began the move towards the creation of the Criminal Case Review Commission. Reading it today illustrates why the CCRC was not enough.


"Rough Justice" by Peter Hill and Martin Young.

This book is one of the first in the great movement of the eighties. It follows up the first series of the BBC's "Rough Justice" programme - transmitted in 1981. It covers the cases of Jock Russell, the McDonaghs, John Walters - and many more.


"More Rough Justice" by Tom Sargant, Peter Hill and Martin Young.

This book follows up the second series of the BBC's "Rough Justice" programme - transmitted in 1985. It covers the cases of Margaret Livesey, Ernie Clarke and George Beattie.


"Interrogative Suggestibility."

This is the original article from 1984 which introduced the idea of suggestibility - a major advance in tackling false confession cases.


"Ernie Clarke - trial summing up ."

This summing up of Clarke's trial will be of particular interest to anyone who reads his case in "More Rough Justice" Clarke was the only black man in South Shield where the murder took place for which he was convicted. It is a notable example of a British miscarriage of justice in the seventies.


"Ernie Clarke - Appeal Judgement."

 

This is one of the most outrageous cases in the history of the English Court of Appeal in this century. How can the Court of Appeal dismiss a case whilst accepting the chief forensic evidence (indeed the only evidence ) in a case is falacious? Read here and see.


"The "Rough Justice Affair" "

The story of how the Lord Chief Chief Justice Lord Lane in 1985 used foul means in an attempt to stop a campaigning BBC programme series and the scandalous manner in which the BBC responded.


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