Gerry Bermingham, who has died aged 82, entered the House of Commons as a Labour MP 40 years ago with a working knowledge and understanding of the legal system in England and Wales, and immediately set about attempting to redress some of the many shortcomings of which he was aware.
He was thus ahead of his time in drawing public and political attention to the need to speed up court proceedings, to lower the prison population by reducing jail sentences imposed for minor civil offences and to compensate those detained in custody and subsequently proved innocent. He also wanted more control on police operations.
