▁piece ▁of ▁hyp oc ris y , ▁in ▁view ▁of ▁his ▁conduct ▁of ▁the ▁case ". ▁After wards ▁Le vin ▁was ▁black b alled ▁by ▁the ▁G arr ick ▁Club , ▁a ▁favour ite ▁resort ▁of ▁both ▁law y ers ▁and ▁journal ists , ▁when ▁his ▁application ▁for ▁membership ▁came ▁up . ▁ ▁On ▁ 3 0 ▁July ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁the ▁Court ▁of ▁App e al ▁qu ashed ▁D erek ▁Bent ley ' s ▁conv iction ▁on ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁God d ard ' s ▁mis direction ▁to ▁the ▁j ury ▁which , ▁according ▁to ▁Lord ▁B ingham , ▁" must ▁[...] ▁have ▁driven ▁the ▁j ury ▁to ▁conclude ▁that ▁they ▁had ▁little ▁choice ▁but ▁to ▁conv ict ." ▁He ▁added ▁that ▁the ▁sum ming - up ▁of ▁the ▁case ▁was ▁" such ▁as ▁to ▁den y ▁the ▁app ell ant ▁[ B ent ley ] ▁the ▁fair ▁trial ▁which ▁is ▁the ▁birth right ▁of ▁every ▁British ▁citiz en ". ▁B ingham ▁also , ▁however , ▁acknowled ged ▁that ▁God d ard ▁was ▁" one ▁of ▁the ▁out standing ▁criminal ▁jud ges ▁of ▁the ▁century ", ▁and ▁under lined ▁the ▁change ▁in ▁social ▁standards ▁between ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁Bent ley ▁was ▁not , ▁contrary ▁to ▁occas ional ▁media ▁reports , ▁acqu itted ; ▁had ▁he ▁still ▁been ▁alive , ▁the ▁probability ▁is ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁ret ried . ▁The ▁decision ▁to ▁review ▁the ▁case ▁dec ades ▁after ▁Bent