Category Archives: General articles

Articles relevant to the subject of wrongful convictions

New York takes the wrongful conviction cake

Andrew L. Urban. Bypassing the police with her rape allegation, the complainant publishes it in a book, some 37 years later. But it may have been 36 years …The case goes to trial in a civil court. 

Posted in General articles | 4 Comments

Mark Tedeschi KC “impermissibly straining for a conviction”

To date, we have published 37 negative comments from readers on this blog about the former NSW Senior Crown Prosecutor Mark Tedeschi KC, adding to our own criticisms of his prosecutorial behaviour in several cases. Tedeschi finally resigned in 2018 … Continue reading

Posted in General articles | 10 Comments

The myth of criminal justice in Australia

Marco Rusterholz is serving a 45 year jail sentence in Tasmania for a double murder, a conviction that is demonstrably unsafe. The trial judge, the jury and the appeal judges all failed in their respective duties to deliver justice. 

Posted in Case 19 Marco Rusterholz, General articles | 5 Comments

Child sex offenders in SA face indefinite detention

Andrew L. Urban. Repeat child sex offenders would be subject to indefinite detention and potentially lifetime electronic monitoring under new laws that will be fast-tracked through South Australian state Parliament. Premier Peter Malinauskas described his government’s proposed amendments to the Sentencing … Continue reading

Posted in General articles | 4 Comments

Wanted: Attorneys-General to help right wrongful convictions

Andrew L. Urban. If you could do one thing as an Attorney-General that would profoundly improve the criminal appeal system and reinforce the separation of powers … why not do it? Why haven’t they done it? Will they do it?

Posted in CCRC, General articles | 14 Comments

What is it with prosecutors?

A man in Oklahoma who spent 48 years in prison for a murder he did not commit has been exonerated. Oklahoma county district attorney, Vicki Behenna, said prosecutors had failed to turn over new evidence in the case. That included … Continue reading

Posted in General articles | 7 Comments

Genuine rape victims betrayed by unsubstantiated claims

As Bruce Lehrmann’s contentious rape defamation trial of TEN and The Project’s Lisa Wilkinson enters its final week, the whole subject of sexual assault allegations and the law are in the spotlight.

Posted in Case 18 Bruce Lehrmann, General articles | 4 Comments

Neither High Court nor juries guarantee fair trials

Andrew L. Urban. On reading the story of the High Court’s refusal to grant leave to Derek Bromley’s appeal, reader Peter Gill writes: “Reminds me of this article about the High Court’s disgraceful 3-2 stuff-up in the Lindy Chamberlain High … Continue reading

Posted in General articles | 3 Comments

Convictions that changed our world

One of the two most recent “convictions” that have changed our world by triggering violent responses was that Israel had targeted a Gaza hospital as part of its response to the Hamas atrocities of October 7, 2023. The other was … Continue reading

Posted in General articles | 12 Comments

Should prosecutors take the oath?

Andrew L. Urban.  The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth … that’s the oath taken by witnesses in criminal trials. But not by prosecutors. In our adversarial system, the truth can be an incidental benefit to a … Continue reading

Posted in General articles | 22 Comments