Professor Leonard Leigh is a member of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), an independent body responsible for investigating suspected miscarriages of criminal justice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The CCRC was established as an executive Non-Departmental Public Body on January 1, 1997 and started handling casework from March 31, 1997. The Commission's principal role is to review the convictions of those who believe they have either been wrongly found guilty of a criminal offence, or wrongly sentenced. The Commission has fourteen members supported by caseworkers and administrative staff. The Commission can seek further information relating to a case and carry out its own investigations, or arrange for others to do so. Once the investigations have been completed to the Commission's satisfaction, it decides whether or not to refer the case to the appropriate appeal court.

Professor Leigh was Convenor of the Law Department at the London School of Economics where he has lectured on criminal justice since 1964. He has made detailed research into key areas such as commercial fraud, civil liberties and human rights.

Professor Leigh was called to the Alberta Bar in 1959 and to the English Bar in 1993. He has practiced in both jurisdictions. He was a member of the Canadian Government's Securities Regulation Task Force during the 1970s. He is a council member of the International Association of Penal Law, one of two UK council members of the International Penal and Penitentiary Foundation and has given seminars at L'Institute de Droit Compare, Universite de Paris I. He has been Visiting Professor at Queen's University, Kingston, Canada. He was Bowker Visiting Professor at the University of Alberta in September 1999 and lectured on the commission.

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Last updated April 16, 2002