It is 'completely inappropriate' that Peter Sullivan – who spent 38 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit – can get only £1million in compensation, lawyers said last night.
The Ministry of Justice is under fresh pressure to lift the cap on its payout scheme for victims of wrongful conviction.
Lawyers said the money Mr Sullivan, 68, can expect pales compared to the millions handed out to actual criminals injured on the prison estate.
Former labourer Mr Sullivan was released from Category A Wakefield Prison on Tuesday night after his conviction for the brutal 1986 murder of florist Diane Sindall was quashed by the Court of Appeal.
The maximum possible compensation payout is £1million under current rules, meaning Mr Sullivan would get about £26,000 a year for his time in prison. Now lawyers have called for Labour to review its own cap, which it introduced in 2008.
