“The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, art.14(6) requires state parties to compensate those who have suffered ‘a miscarriage of justice’. Although the UK ratified the Covenant in 1976, for more than a decade compensation for miscarriages of justice continued to be paid by the Home Office only on an ex gratia basis. Payment was first put onto a statutory basis in 1988.”
Criminal Law and Justice Weekly, 1st June 2013
Source: www.criminallawandjustice.co.uk