The Innocence Project London (IPL) is a pro bono law clinic and registered charity based at the University of Greenwich. It deconstructs claims of innocence from convicted individuals who have exhausted the criminal appeals process, with the aim of supporting them to make an application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).
About the IPL
The IPL was established in 2010 and became a registered charity in 2020. The Director, Dr Louise Hewitt, is an Associate Professor of Law. Students from across the faculty work in small groups to review and investigate claims of innocence. The IPL was the first English innocence organisation to join the global Innocence Network, an affiliation of over 70 innocence organisations from around the world.
The aim of our work is to submit an application to the CCRC, an independent body that reviews possible miscarriages of justice in the United Kingdom. It can decide whether a conviction or sentence should be referred back to the Court of Appeal. The CCRC will only refer a case if it finds new evidence and/or a new legal argument that was not put forward at the time of the trial or appeal, and that would render the conviction unsafe, in the sense that it would have changed the jury's decision had they been aware of it.
Students working on the IPL learn through the ‘Innocence Project model’ of clinical legal education, supported by the Director and the academic teaching team, working alongside lawyers who give their time pro bono to support our work. The student groups analyse the evidence that led to conviction, develop legal theories that could reopen the case and search for factual evidence of innocence.
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Applying to work for the Innocence Project London?
The IPL currently only accepts student volunteers studying at the University of Greenwich. The IPL places a call for volunteers between 25-30 March each year. Students in Year 1 and Year 2 of their degrees are able to apply. Postgraduate students are also able to work for the IPL and should contact the Director when they commence their studies.
There is a two-part application process. The first part consists of submitting a CV and an investigative report. There is a shortlisting process, and successful candidates from part one will proceed to part two, where they will be invited to a short interview. More details are provided when the call for volunteers is announced on 25 March each year.
Internships
The IPL currently only accepts student volunteers from the University of Greenwich. Students from other universities should consider applying for an unpaid internship more detail can be found on the IPL website.
Disclaimer
Any information on the web page of the Innocence Project London should not be construed as legal advice. It merely provides information about the organisation. The Innocence Project London reserves the right to cancel, suspend or modify, in any way, the contents of its website.
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