{"id":6465,"date":"2022-02-16T12:55:21","date_gmt":"2022-02-16T12:55:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.satellite.mmu.ac.uk\/northernquota-old\/2022\/02\/16\/university-staff-and-students-launch-innocence-project-promoting-positive-change-justice-system\/"},"modified":"2022-02-16T12:55:21","modified_gmt":"2022-02-16T12:55:21","slug":"university-staff-and-students-launch-innocence-project-promoting-positive-change-justice-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/satellite.mmu.ac.uk\/northernquota-old\/university-staff-and-students-launch-innocence-project-promoting-positive-change-justice-system\/","title":{"rendered":"University staff and students launch Innocence Project promoting positive change in the justice system"},"content":{"rendered":"

Manchester’s Innocence Project – a collaboration between academics and students aimed at helping victims of justice miscarriages – has organised the talk on the Post Office Horizon scandal.<\/p>\n

Claire McGourlay<\/a>, Professor of Law at the University of Manchester runs the Manchester Innocence project.<\/p>\n

\"Innocence
University of Manchester launches the Manchester Innocence project event<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Claire told NQ the types of letters they receive from prisoners: \u201cMost are a similar story \u2018I\u2019m in prison, I didn\u2019t do it, can you please help me. I can\u2019t afford for anyone to help me\u2019<\/p>\n

“We don\u2019t start off with the presumption they are innocent. We look for evidence first and have to find fresh evidence or it\u2019s not going anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Caitlin Donovan, a student volunteer, explained why she wanted to be involved with the scheme. <\/p>\n

“A conviction based on a miscarriage of justice is no conviction at all,” she said.<\/p>\n

“It is simply a failure of the justice system, and I must do everything in my power to remedy it.”<\/p>\n

The Manchester scheme is a member of the wider Innocence Project organisation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Innocence Project was founded in 1992 by Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck at a New York law school. Its initial focus was to exonerate those wrongly convicted through DNA testing.<\/p>\n

The project now looks to reform policies, support exonerees and build research-based education.<\/p>\n

The Manchester project was established in 2020.<\/p>\n

Claire tells NQ that delays caused the official launch: \u201cDuring the pandemic unfortunately,  because no one was allowed in the building letters were piling up, because we weren\u2019t aloud on enter the premises.<\/p>\n

“So that\u2019s been unfortunate for everyone involved, thankfully, we have dealt with those on the back burner now\u201d<\/p>\n

To formally launch the Manchester project, the University of Manchester<\/a> is holding a event on the Post Office scandal.<\/p>\n

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Please join us in person or by zoom for a talk by @nickwallis<\/a> to launch the @InnocenceMCR<\/a> @uomsoss<\/a> @SocialResponUoM<\/a> @law_uom<\/a> @UoMJusticeHub<\/a> @UoMHumsImpact<\/a> ‘The Great Post Office Scandal – what went wrong and why it matters\u2019. https:\/\/t.co\/jdgS1gQ4l1<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\u2014 Claire McGourlay (@CMcgourlay) February 3, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n