Category Archives: General articles

Andrew L. Urban In Part 1 of this series, we referred to the damaging effect that tunnel vision can have on the entire criminal justice process, from start to finish. Following the Australian examples in Part 1 (published January 15, … Continue reading →

Andrew L. Urban.  In Part 2, we examine the controversial case of Cardinal George Pell; his conviction and failed appeal, asking whether the evidence meets the standard of proof beyond reasonable doubt and whether the majority in the appeal court … Continue reading →

“In Australia, two of the states and both mainland territories have not yet even decided to permit a second criminal appeal by leave on compelling evidence. And no jurisdiction has yet resolved to establish a Review Commission. What is it … Continue reading →

Andrew L. Urban. Before Walkley Award winning journalist and legal historian Evan Whitton died (5 March 1928 – 16 July 2018), I had the good fortune to exchange a few notes with him about miscarriages of justice. He had written … Continue reading →

Andrew L. Urban. As 2020 begins, we look forward to Tasmania’s Supreme Court finally hearing Sue Neill-Fraser’s new appeal against her 2010 murder conviction in May. Also during the year, the NSW the Supreme Court is expected to hear Robert … Continue reading →

After a trial conducted behind closed doors, a criminal court in Riyadh on Monday (23/12/19) sentenced five ­people to death for the murder in Istanbul of Jamal Khashoggi in 2018; three others were sentenced to a total of 24 years. … Continue reading →

Andrew L. Urban. A man accused of rape has evidence of 12 incidents in which his alleged victim had made previous false claims about sexual abuse – but the court cannot allow that evidence to be heard, due to the … Continue reading →

Andrew L. Urban. They have come to be known as The Baby Deaths. Three unrelated babies who died between October 1992 and August 1993 in Adelaide, were each victims of physical abuse but the State’s Chief Pathologist (1968 – 1995), … Continue reading →

Invitation to readers of wrongfulconvictionsreport: please join Andrew for Movies Now, a series of six new movies prior to their commercial release, followed by a discussion with a film industry practitioner; Wednesdays from Feb. 5, 2020. 

Andrew L. Urban. Juries are human. Fallible, often under stress, especially in trials of serious crime, collectively uninformed in law, forensic science or other relevant disciplines. Juries ingest what the prosecution and defence feeds them. Having served on a jury, … Continue reading →