The California Innocence Project was founded in 1999 at California Western School of Law in San Diego, California by Director Justin Brooks and Law Professor Jan Stiglitz as part of the Innocence Network.
Since its inception, it has gone on to handle many high profile cases, including that of Brian Banks, a promising 16 year old student and sportsman who spent time in prison after being falsing accused of a crime. A story which was later turned into a feature film.
Dr Louise Hewitt is a lecturer at the University of Greenwich. She co-founded the Innocence Project London (IPL) with her colleague Kristian Humble in 2010. She became Director in 2017.
At the IPL, Law and Criminology students work in small groups, alongside a practising lawyer, to review and investigate cases of convicted individuals who have maintained their innocence but have exhausted the criminal appeals process. In January 2016, the IPL became a member of the Innocence Network, which is based in the United States of America.
Dr Louise Hewitt said:
“Justin’s visit is an opportunity for students working on the Innocence Project London to exchange their knowledge and share their case work with Justin and his students.
“On the day, students from the IPL will present their cases and their areas of investigation, generating a discussion about the work which provides an opportunity for feedback and innovative thinking. It also helps to create awareness of the global nature of wrongful convictions which supports the learning for Justin’s students.”
Justin Brooks said:
“For my students, it’s a tremendous opportunity to get to learn about the British criminal justice system and the challenges you face in the UK when trying to reverse wrongful convictions.”
