Barry George, who spent eight years in prison after being wrongly convicted of the murder of TV presenter Jill Dando, has lost his battle for compensation at the High Court.
Barry George's solicitor: 'We are very disappointed'
Barry George's solicitor, Nick Baird, said: "We are very disappointed with the judgement and we shall be applying for permission to leapfrog the Court of Appeal to have the matter heard before the Supreme Court."
Barry George was cleared of murdering TV presenter Jill Dando. Credit: Lewis Whyld/PA Archive/Press Association Images
Mr George, 52, came to court to seek a reconsideration of his case which could have opened the way for him to claim an award of up to £500,000 for lost earnings and wrongful imprisonment. But the judges ruled that he had "failed the legal test" to receive an award.
Judges rule against Barry George compensation claim
Two judges have rejected Barry George's claim that the Justice Secretary unfairly and unlawfully decided he was "not innocent enough to be compensated".
Lord Justice Beatson and Mr Justice Irwin ruled that the Secretary of State was "entirely justified in the conclusion he reached."
Ian Lawless, who spent eight years behind bars for murder before being freed by the Court of Appeal in 2009, won a similar legal challenge.
Barry George, who spent eight years in prison after being wrongly convicted of the murder of TV presenter Jill Dando, has lost his High Court bid for compensation as a victim of a "miscarriage of justice".
Barry George has challenged a decision to deny him compensation Credit: Lewis Whyld/PA Archive
Barry George, who spent eight years in prison after being wrongly convicted of the murder of TV presenter Jill Dando, will learn today whether he has won a High Court battle for compensation as a victim of a "miscarriage of justice".
Barry George's original claim for compensation was rejected in January 2010 Credit: Lewis Whyld/PA Archive
Barry George, who spent eight years in prison after being wrongly convicted of the murder of TV presenter Jill Dando, learns today whether he has won a High Court battle for compensation as a victim of a "miscarriage of justice".
Barry George was acquitted of Jill Dando's murder at a 2008 retrial Credit: Lewis Whyld/PA Archive
He argues that - despite his unanimous acquittal by a jury at a retrial - a Ministry of Justice "functionary" unfairly and unlawfully decided he was "not innocent enough to be compensated".
Yet for more than 30 years those acquitted on retrials in similar circumstances had been compensated, said his QC Ian Glen at a recent hearing.
Jill Dando was shot dead outside her home in Fulham in April 1999 Credit: PA Archive
He argued that the decision not to treat Mr George's acquittal as a miscarriage of justice was to go behind the decision of the jury that acquitted him and failed to take account of the fact that no safe conviction could ever be based on the evidence against Mr George.
Mr George is seeking a reconsideration of his case that could open the way for him to claim an award of up to £500,000.
His action is one of five test cases to decide who is now entitled to payments in "miscarriage of justice" cases following a landmark decision by the Supreme Court in May 2011.
