Reappointment of the Independent Assessor of Compensation for Miscarriages of Justice
Dame Linda Dobbs DBE, a former high court judge with 35 years of legal experience, has been reappointed as Independent Assessor for Miscarriages of Justice.
The Secretary of State for Justice has re-appointed Dame Linda Dobbs DBE as Independent Assessor for Miscarriages of Justice (the Assessor) for a term of 5 years from 8 April 2021.
Appointed by the Secretary of State for Justice, under section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act (the Act) 1988, the Assessor’s role is to gauge the amount of compensation to be paid once the Secretary of State has decided that the eligibility criteria is met.
In line with paragraph 3 of Schedule 12 to the Act, the Secretary of State will review the appointment when Dame Linda attains the age of 72.
Neither Ministers nor officials play any role in the assessment of compensation and the Secretary of State for Justice is required by section 133 (4) to accept the award made by the Assessor.
The Assessor plays no role in deciding whether an applicant is eligible for compensation, which falls solely to the Secretary of State under Section 133(3).
Biography
In October 2004, following a successful career at the Bar where she was a member of and chaired a number of Bar committees (including Race Relations, Equal Opportunities, International, Professional Conduct and Professional Standard Committees and Criminal Bar Association), Dame Linda became the first non-white judge in the senior judiciary. Whilst on the High Court Bench she was the Senior Liaison Judge for Diversity, Chair of the Magisterial Committee of the Judicial Studies Board and Chair of the International Committee of the Judicial College.
Dame Linda is a Judicial Commissioner at the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office, an editor of a number of legal publications and a mediator. She has been involved in the training of lawyers and judges in the UK and internationally for over 25 years and is the Director of Training at the Judicial Institute for Africa, at the University of Cape Town where she is an honorary professor. Dame Linda was appointed as Independent Assessor for Miscarriages of Justice in April 2016.
Dame Linda holds seven honorary doctorates; she is a patron of a number of charities which work in Africa. She has been named one of Britain’s most powerful black women and one of the 100 Great Black Britons and she has featured regularly in the Power 100 List of Influential Black Britons.
Dame Linda has not declared any political activity.