If journalist David James Smith were still a CCRC commissioner would he be ‘strongly arguing for referral’ of Bamber’s 5 murder convictions?
The answer to that question is no, he would not be strongly arguing for referral of Bamber's 5 murder convictions.
CAL interviewed David James Smith for her book and as she provides a source for every quote she makes in the book, this is provided in the appendix that accompanies one particular quite attributed to David James Smith:
David James Smith, author interviews, 2013. David James Smith has
asked me to point out that he has joined the CCRC as a Commissioner
since this interview, that these observations reflect his personal views
prior to joining the Commission, and that should Jeremy Bamber ever
reapply to the CCRC, his submissions would be considered by a
Commissioner or Commissioners with no previous involvement in the
case.The quote that the above disclaimer refers to is the following quote made by David James Smith:
The CCRC have bent over backwards to be fair
to him. He’s had free access to all the papers, but ultimately nothing has so
far emerged that makes it likely he didn’t do it. And it’s incredibly easy to
pick away at inconsistencies – which there are bound to be in a case as
tragic, complex and far-reaching as this one. But it’s no good focusing on
little details, you have got to look at the whole picture. It’s not enough to
pull out this and that – everything has to be examined in context. That’s
been done, but it hasn’t made any difference to his incarcerationAs far as I can see, David James Smith believes Jeremy Bamber to be guilty. Maybe he hasn't always felt that way, but in 2013, when he was interviewed by CAL, he gives every indication that he thinks Bamber is guilty.