SIR – I suspect that John Wilson (Letters, January 5) is indulging in a bit of special pleading on behalf of the legal profession when he criticises the retrial of the Lawrence murderers.
As a lawyer, he must know that it is ridiculous to suggest that ‘the state’ will keep ordering retrials until it gets the decision it wants.
He will also know that the waiver of double jeopardy is only an option in the most serious cases like terrorism, murder or rape, and where there is new and compelling evidence sufficient to persuade the Court of Appeal to order a retrial.
Given the fact judges these days are regularly accused of undermining the will of Parliament by apparently perverse decisions, it seems to me that the ‘state’ would be unlikely to get very far in its pursuit of dodgy second trials.
Brian Holmans, Langley Road, Bingley
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