This poses a problem for anyone investigating miscarriages of justice, he says.
Who is Responsible for Investigating Miscarriages of Justice, out on 10 October.
"Our system of criminal justice is not perfect," reflects Mr Justice Sweeney in the introduction to a new collection of essays, Wrongly accused: who is responsible for investigating miscarriages of justice?. "Despite all its safeguards, a risk of miscarriages remains.
The body responsible for investigating miscarriages of justice is to receive a 10% increase in funding after a surge in applications from prisoners claiming they have been wrongfully convicted.
Who is responsible for investigating miscarriages of justice, out at the end of the month on thejusticegap.com This article was amended on 19 January 2012 to delete a reference to purported suicide that was at odds with Guardian editorial guidelines on this subject.
Some years ago, when investigating miscarriages of justice, I began to wonder whether the wall of silence that greeted inquiries, official and unofficial, into allegations of police malpractice, had anything to do with the high incidence of masons in certain forces.
He now works as a criminal justice consultant investigating miscarriages of justice, but had "vast experience of working behind bars" in every possible job going.
The Innocence Network UK, an umbrella group for the university-based Innocence Projects set up by law students to investigate miscarriage cases, has just called for an overhaul of the CCRC and its referral powers.
Opponents also say that it could force the state to investigate miscarriages and to limit birth-control methods.
The power to pardon is rarely exercised in the UK, as the Criminal Cases Review Commission investigates miscarriages of justice.
He said: "It is high time a new and truly independent tribunal was set up to investigate miscarriages of justice.
