Miscarriage of justice rankles

The quashing of mum Sally Clark's conviction for murdering her two babies arouses nothing but sympathy.

In the end, concludes the Independent, the battle to clear her name was won by the hidden secret of prosecution file number 89.

The Sun cannot contain its anger at what it describes as one of the most scandalous miscarriages of justice in years.

It expresses disbelief that evidence that would have cleared Mrs Clark had been withheld from the jury at her trial.

Husband's love

For the Daily Mirror, it was an injustice that cannot be ignored.

The Guardian says her five years of grief and frustration were only ended because of her husband's unwavering belief that she was innocent.

The Times is convinced that there are lessons to be drawn from the injustices of a case that will have an influence long into the future.

The one redeeming factor in this fiasco, suggests the Daily Mail, is that what British justice got wrong, it belatedly put right.

March to war

There is plenty of advice for Tony Blair about what he should say when he meets President Bush in Washington.

The Guardian argues that a war against Iraq is not remotely justifiable.

Instead, it says, Mr Blair should check the march to war and back the UN route of inspections, containment and diplomacy.

The Daily Express believes America and Britain should continue to seek backing from the international community at the UN, but we have to be prepared to act without that support if necessary.

The Sun takes issue with what it calls the Commons wobblers who oppose the Prime Minister's stance on Iraq.

It says "the world will not be safe from terrorism until all rogue states that deal in deadly weapons are disarmed".

The Times is in no doubt about the significance of the article by eight European leaders backing America's stance on Iraq.

The paper believes it reflects the anger of some countries at the misgivings on the issue voiced by Germany and France, and at what they consider to be their presumption to speak for Europe.

Elected chamber

Tony Blair's statement that he preferred the idea of a wholly appointed House of Lords is seen by the Financial Times as a serious setback for constitutional modernisers.

The Guardian reports that the prime minister decided to make his position clear after an unexpectedly large number of ministers rejected the idea of an elected second chamber at a recent cabinet meeting.

The Daily Telegraph believes Mr Blair's opposition means it is highly unlikely that there will be any elections for members of the Lords.

Royal secrets

The release of the government files about the abdication crisis in 1936 is examined in much detail.

Writing in the Independent, the historian Ben Pimlott says they do not change our take on what happened, but they provide plenty of material for scholars and royalty watchers to chew over for years to come.

Or, as the Telegraph puts its, they add a great number of fascinating footnotes.

Inevitably, many of the papers focus on the revelation that Wallis Simpson was having an affair with a car salesman while she was being courted by the then Prince of Wales.

Had he found out, says the Mirror, the course of history and the British monarchy might have been very different.