Leading London-based law firm, Mishcon de Reya, has been instructed to pursue legal action to secure a pardon for Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in the UK.
Ruth Ellis was executed at the age of 28 following her conviction for the murder of her former lover David Blakely in 1955. Stephen Beard, Ruth’s grandson, and his family believe that substantial evidence was not put forward at her trial leading to Ruth being wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to capital punishment. Ruth's story is currently being portrayed in the ITV drama, 'A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story'.
Mishcon de Reya was established by the late Lord Victor Mishcon. While Victor Mishcon was not instructed to represent Ruth at her trial, he took on her cause following her conviction, and shortly before her execution he tried to intervene so that she was not executed.
The firm has now been instructed by Stephen Beard to seek a posthumous pardon for Ruth. Despite the fact a pardon does not eliminate a conviction, a pardon should be given if it can be shown that a convicted person was morally and technically innocent. Ruth’s family believe that new evidence that was not presented at her trial could show that she should not have been convicted of murder and received capital punishment, and they would like the British state to formally acknowledge Ruth’s conviction as a miscarriage of justice.
The legal work will involve conducting a detailed review of the evidence presented at Ruth's original trial and the new evidence that has subsequently come to light, to present an application for a pardon to the Ministry of Justice. The Mishcon de Reya team will be working with Alex Bailin KC and Jessica Jones of Matrix Chambers on the case.
Katy Colton, Partner and Head of Politics and Law at Mishcon de Reya, who is leading on the case, said:
"Securing a posthumous pardon for Ruth Ellis is not just about correcting a historical wrong; it is about acknowledging the systemic failures that led to her unjust conviction and execution. Our legal system must reflect the values of fairness and justice, and we are committed to presenting the compelling new evidence that supports an application for a pardon. We hope this case will highlight the importance of due process and the need to ensure that justice is served, even many years after the fact."
Background
On 10 April 1955, Ruth was arrested for the alleged murder of her former lover David Blakely. The trial lasted only two days in June 1955, and after just 15 minutes of deliberation, the jury found Ruth guilty of murder.
Ruth’s family believe there is significant and crucial evidence that was not put forward at Ruth's trial, including her physically abusive and coercive relationship with David Blakely, as well as the role of Desmond Cussen in supplying and training Ruth in the use of the weapon used to kill David Blakely.
James Libson, Managing Partner at Mishcon de Reya, said:
“Mishcon de Reya has always been driven by a socially conscious spirit and a desire to right a wrong. It’s in the DNA of our firm: from our founder, Lord Victor Mishcon taking up Ruth Ellis’ cause following her conviction, to his work as a member of the Wolfenden Committee which advocated for the decriminalisation of homosexual acts between consenting adults in private. I am very proud to have the opportunity to continue Lord Mishcon’s work in acting for the family of Ruth Ellis and I very much hope we can help them achieve justice for her.”
At the time of Ruth's trial, attitudes toward women and their roles following World War Two were largely that they should return to traditional domestic and homemaking duties. There is evidence to suggest that Ruth's position as a career-focused, working-class woman in London’s club scene, and her lifestyle as a divorced, single mother, also prejudiced the outcome of her trial.
Anju Suneja, Partner and EDI Board Representative at Mishcon de Reya, said:
"At the time of Ruth's conviction and execution in 1955, women, who had contributed enormously to the war effort through work, were expected to resume their former roles as homemakers, dependent on men for a home and financial security. Women like Ruth who pressed for careers, independent financial security, and a different place in society often paid a severe price.
"Ruth's story continues to have resonance today as domestic violence and other forms of violence against women and girls increase, the gender pay gap persists, women bear the majority of the burden of caring responsibilities, and, around the world, hard-won freedoms like reproductive choice that women thought were secure, are rolled back. I'm very proud that Mishcon de Reya is working with Stephen Beard and his family to seek long-overdue justice for Ruth."
Twenty-two days after her conviction, at the age of 28, Ruth was executed at London's Holloway Prison on 13 July 1955, becoming the last woman to be executed in Britain, leaving behind her two young children, Georgina and Andy.
Stephen Beard and his family wish to prove that Ruth's trial and execution was a miscarriage of justice and that Ruth was failed by the justice system and the British state in the most irremediable way.