Enact Trew’s law to automatically review ‘bent copper’ convictions, says report

Experts say failure to immediately review cases involving corrupt police officers risks ‘ruining’ more lives

Convictions that imprisoned police officers were involved in obtaining should be automatically reviewed to correct miscarriages of justice such as those perpetrated by the corrupt and racist officer DS Derek Ridgewell , a report says.

The proposed Trew’s law, named after Winston Trew – who was framed by Ridgewell and spent decades fighting to clear his name – would trigger an immediate, independent review of past cases linked to any jailed officer in England and Wales.

Ridgewell’s story has been described as “the real Line of Duty” , with reference to the BBC show about “bent coppers”. Since 2018, 13 victims of Ridgewell, including the Oval Four and members of the Stockwell Six had their convictions quashed. A 14th case involving the British Transport Police (BTP) officer was referred to the court of appeal in February.

Trew, who is working on the campaign for a new law with the miscarriages of justice charity Appeal, said: “When my convictions were finally quashed in 2019, it came after nearly 50 years of fighting to clear my name. No one should have to spend decades uncovering the truth about police wrongdoing. Justice shouldn’t depend on luck, or on victims fighting for years to expose miscarriages of justice. Trew’s law would place responsibility where it belongs: with the state.”

In 1980, Ridgewell was jailed for seven years for stealing mailbags worth £364,000, but an immediate review of his past cases was not initiated. In 2024, Lucy D’Orsi, chief constable of BTP, called the force’s failure to do so “simply inexcusable”.

Dr Joanna Gilmore, from the University of York, which produced the report with Appeal, said that despite D’Orsi’s apology “when we began researching this issue, we were struck by how little exists in law today to prevent history from repeating itself”.

She added: “In many of the cases we examined, judges noted in sentencing remarks how officers had used their police position to facilitate serious offending – and yet the decision to review their past cases remains discretionary, opaque, and unpredictable.”

CPS guidance recognises that a review may be required where a witness, including a police officer, is later “discredited” – but does not mandate it.

The researchers found that between 2023 and 2026, at least 64 current or former police officers received immediate custodial sentences for offences including serious dishonesty, physical and sexual violence, and abuse of position.

They also discovered that there was no central system to record when police officers received custodial sentences, nor whether their past cases were reviewed and, if so, the outcomes.

Dr Mattia Pinto, from the University of York, said: “Even today it is far too common for the lives of innocent people to be completely ruined by convictions based on unchecked evidence from corrupt officers.”

A triage process would focus on cases where the officer’s integrity was central to the conviction, while excluding purely administrative or peripheral involvement.

As well as triggering an immediate review, Trew’s law would require affected individuals to be notified and given disclosure where a material risk to conviction safety was identified, to enable timely access to legal advice.

Materiality includes providing witness evidence, preparing key investigative documents, or handling exhibits and disclosure.

Matt Foot, co-director of Appeal, said: “The criminal justice system takes far too long to correct miscarriages of justice. In the case of the victims of DS Ridgewell and his squads, it has taken an eternity. I believe there are many more victims out there still. It’s high time for Trew’s law so that officers that are doing harm who are imprisoned have their files investigated immediately to stop delay for those that have suffered enough.”

The campaign launch will be held in south London on Thursday night at Lambeth town hall, where an event was held in 1973 protesting against the imprisonment of the Oval Four. They were beaten up and framed for attempted theft and assaulting the police on the London Underground.

The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment.