On 20 October 1989 following the quashing of the
Guildford Four convictions, May was appointed to chair an inquiry into both that case and the related case of the Maguire Seven. On 12 July 1990, the
Home Secretary David Waddington published the interim report,
Interim Report on the Maguire Case: The Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the convictions arising out of the bomb attacks in Guildford and Woolwich in 1974. The report criticised the trial judge
Lord Donaldson of Lymington. It unearthed improprieties in the handling of scientific evidence that were relevant to the other cases and declared the convictions unsound and recommended referral back to the Court of Appeal. The scientific work in examining the failings of the original forensic work leading to the convictions was undertaken by the "West" Committee led by Professor
Thomas Summers West CBE FRS and the findings published in 1992 in Sir John May's report to the House of Commons entitled the Second Maguire report.
RARDE scientific tests The Inquiry found that
RARDE scientists Walter Elliott and Douglas Higgs had lied and suppressed evidence at the trials of
Judith Ward and the Maguire Seven. The terms of reference of the initial inquiry were expanded, as a result, to include • The preparation of court evidence by expert witnesses • The advance disclosure of scientific findings • The authorisation of prosecutions based on scientific evidence • Home Office assessment of scientific evidence after miscarriage claims
Royal Commission on Criminal Justice On 14 March 1991, the inquiry became the
Royal Commission on Criminal Justice covering the systemic problems uncovered earlier. The commission was chaired by
Viscount Runciman of Doxford. ==Judgments==