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Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 3:38 pm on 20 November 2002.

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Photo of David Winnick David Winnick Labour, Walsall North 3:38, 20 November 2002

I appreciate from studying the Conservative amendment that the right hon. Gentleman has not rejected the change to double jeopardy out of hand, but would not such a change require compelling evidence to persuade the Court of Appeal? It could not simply be decided to prosecute again a person who had been acquitted of a major offence for that same offence. The Court of Appeal will have to be persuaded that compelling evidence exists. In practice, it is unlikely that there would be more than half a dozen cases in four or five years.