Current Pupil Niccola Parkes Highly Commended in Bar Council’s Annual Law Reform Essay Competition.
19th January 2026
Current Pupil, Niccola Parkes, has been highly commended by the Bar Council in their annual Law Reform Essay Competition. This national competition invites entrants to propose meaningful reform to English, Welsh or European law.
Niccola’s essay, ‘Recalled to life’: the landscape of compensation for miscarriages of justice in the 21st Century, examines the urgent need to overhaul the compensation regime for victims of miscarriage of justice. This was following a number of recent high profile miscarriage of justice cases, where those wrongfully convicted spent decades serving a sentence for crimes they did not commit.
At present, individuals who have been wrongfully convicted may apply for compensation under s.133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988. Yet with a success rate of only 3.75%, successfully securing compensation is exceptionally rare. Under s.133, applicants must prove that they ‘did not commit the offence’. This threshold uniquely requires an applicant to demonstrate, and prove, their innocence, contrary to every other principle within the criminal justice system. In reality, most people who are exonerated receive nothing more than £46 and a travel voucher upon release. They are offered no structured support, and the State often fails to acknowledge them as victims of a profound miscarriage of justice.
Niccola’s essay argues that s.133(1ZA) should revert to the pre‑2014 standard. More importantly, it calls for comprehensive reform of the entire compensation framework. She proposes the creation of an independent panel empowered not only to assess financial compensation but also to design tailored support packages to help those wrongfully convicted rebuild their lives and reintegrate into society.
The essay ultimately advocates for a holistic model of redress. One that recognises the deep trauma experienced by those who have spent years wrongfully imprisoned and ensures that the justice system plays an active role in their recovery.
The essay can be read on the Bar Council website.