Important Updates

18 March 2020, Morning Star article

Eileen Turnbull, the campaign’s researcher, has published an article in the Morning Star: After 46 years the Shrewsbury pickets have a chance to clear their names.

9 March 2020, Thank you to all our supporters

Since posting the news that the CCRC have referred the pickets’ convictions to the Court of Appeal we have been overwhelmed with messages of support and congratulations from our trade union, trades council and CLP affiliates.

Some of the pickets and campaign committee members, December 2019. Back Row (L-R) Mark Turnbull, Terry Renshaw, Kevin Butcher, Michael Pierce, John Bohanna and Joe Sim. Front row: Ann Dobie, John McKinsie Jones, Eileen Turnbull and Harry Chadwick.

The Shrewsbury 24 Campaign want to pay tribute to the eight pickets who have consistently pursued this case through to the end. We have had many setbacks over the years not least the CCRC turning down the case on three occasions and a judge’s refusal in March 2018 to grant us permission to proceed with a judicial review. These were very difficult times but, despite this, the eight never gave up. They have maintained for over 46 years that they were innocent of any crime and they wanted justice. Their principled determination has ensured that we now have the opportunity to appeal the convictions at the Court of Appeal.

We have had a number of queries about the CCRC’s press release. Sadly, two of the original ten applicants, Ricky Tomlinson and Arthur Murray, withdrew from the campaign in autumn 2017 after the CCRC had turned down the applications.  Their view was that they had no confidence in getting justice from the courts and would not put their names to the judicial review proceedings.  After we succeeded in court on 30 April 2019, we invited them to reconsider and join us in the new submission to the CCRC but again they refused to participate. This was a great disappointment both to the campaign and the pickets as we stood by the trade union principle, United We Stand.

A number of the pickets wanted to express their thanks to all involved and those that have given support to the Campaign along the way.

This is fantastic news – well done to all involved! Many thanks to you and Harry and all those that put in the hard yards to get this far.

Many thanks

Nick (Des Warren’s eldest son)

I will never be able to thank the Campaign enough for all the hard work and commitment that you have put into our case. Myself and my family look forward to the day when our names are cleared.

John McKinsie Jones

This is an unbelievable result and one that I thought that I would never see. We were treated very badly in 1973 and I have lived with my conviction for over forty years. It was a miscarriage of justice which needs to be put right.

Michael Pierce

I am absolutely that our case has now been referred back to the Court of Appeal. I never doubted that the Campaign would do it because you were so determined and worked so hard over many years to achieve justice for us all.

Kevin Butcher

I cried when Eileen rang me on Wednesday to tell me the news. I have been campaigning for over 14 years to clear our names. It was the proudest day of my life to be able to speak with my fellow pickets that day and let them know that we were now going to the Court of Appeal.

Terry Renshaw

The Campaign Chairperson, Harry Chadwick, who was a former building worker who took part in the strike in 1972 and has supported the Shrewsbury pickets struggle for justice ever since said,

We have achieved this success against the odds with the commitment of the Campaign Committee and the support of the trade unions. Myself and other Committee members have travelled throughout the country to speak at meetings large and small. We have always been heartened by the warmth and generosity of the trade unionists and Labour Party members that we have met and I want to thank you all.

I also want to pay tribute to our Researcher and Secretary, Eileen Turnbull. It was her painstaking efforts over many years in searching high and low for evidence about the case that led to the discovery of the crucial documents that form the basis of the appeal that is set out in the CCRC’s press release.  

Eileen Turnbull – Secretary

Harry Chadwick – Chairperson

9 March 2020

4 March 2020, Shrewsbury Pickets Win At CCRC

The Criminal Cases Review Commission has today finally agreed to refer the convictions of the Shrewsbury pickets to the Court of Appeal. Eight of the North Wales building workers who were jailed or received suspended prison sentences in 1973-74, will now get the chance to show that they suffered a miscarriage of justice. They are Des Warren, John McKinsie Jones, Ken O’Shea, Michael Pierce, Terry Renshaw, Kevin Butcher, Malcolm Clee and Bernard Williams.

The Shrewsbury 24 Campaign has worked tirelessly since 2006 to publicise the case and gain support from trade unions and the Labour Party. The Campaign’s Researcher and Secretary, Eileen Turnbull, travelled throughout the UK to find the fresh evidence necessary to persuade the CCRC to refer the case to the appeal court. The documents that Turnbull unearthed now form the basis for the appeal.

Read more about the CCRC decision.

May Day 2019,   Shrewsbury 24 succeeds in judicial review against Criminal Cases Review Commission

On International Workers’ Day we are delighted to inform all our supporters that we have won a crucial victory in our long struggle to overturn the convictions of the Shrewsbury 24.

Yesterday, 30th April 2019, halfway through the Judicial Review hearing in the Birmingham Administrative Court, the Criminal Cases Review Commission agreed to withdraw its previous decision not to refer the pickets’ cases to the Court of Appeal. The CCRC has agreed that it will now reconsider the case.

Read more about this victory.

December 2018 – Court gives green light for pickets to challenge CCRC

On Friday 9^th November 2018 the Shrewsbury pickets won an important victory in their long struggle to overturn their convictions. In the Administrative Court in Birmingham, Mr Justice Jay gave permission for the pickets’ application for judicial review to proceed to a full hearing. Read more about this landmark decision.

Read the Morning Star article about the victory.

February 2018 – Campaign launches Judicial Review on behalf of the Shrewsbury pickets

The Shrewsbury 24 Campaign made an application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) on behalf of the pickets on 3 April 2012. After sending several additional lengthy submissions to the CCRC over the past 5 years we have now received their Final Statement of Reasons.  We were extremely disappointed to be informed by the CCRC that they had decided not to refer the pickets’ cases to the Court of Appeal.

Our legal team, led by Danny Friedman QC, have considered the CCRC’s reasons and advised us that we have grounds to challenge the CCRC’s decision through a judicial review in the Administrative Court. The pickets and the Campaign have discussed this advice and have decided to proceed with an application for judicial review. Read more about the Judicial Review…

December 2017 – Ken O’Shea R.I.P.

It is with great sadness that the Shrewsbury 24 Campaign has to announce the death of the eldest surviving picket, Kenneth Desmond Francis O’Shea on Boxing Day. He was 88. Read more…

Update  July 2017 – CCRC, the fight goes on

The Criminal Cases Review Commission has issued a ‘Provisional Statement of Reasons’ in response to the applications of the Shrewsbury pickets. The CCRC has informed us that they do not propose to refer our case back to the Court of Appeal. Although we are very disappointed with their decision we remain absolutely certain that we will overturn this miscarriage of justice. Read More…

Campaign’s researcher, Eileen Turnbull, describes below how she tracked down the television programme,  Red Under the Bed.

Ian Prowes has made a video for the Shrewsbury 24 Campaign of his cover of Alun Parry’s song My Name Is Dessie Warren. Read more…