Category Archives: General articles

Articles relevant to the subject of wrongful convictions

Wanted: Attorneys-General to help right wrongful convictions

Posted on January 20, 2024 by andrew

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?

Posted on December 26, 2023 by andrew

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

Posted on December 17, 2023 by andrew

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

Posted on December 17, 2023 by andrew

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

Posted on November 21, 2023 by andrew

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?

Posted on September 10, 2023 by andrew

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

Call to hold off on Criminal Cases Review Commission “baffling” – Dr Bob Moles

Posted on September 8, 2023 by andrew

The call by The Bridge of Hope Innocence Initiative (BOHII) to hold off on the development of a Criminal Cases Review Commission “is quite frankly baffling,” comments Dr Bob Moles, “and can, in my opinion, only serve to alienate them from their main client group – … Continue reading →

Posted in CCRC, General articles | 13 Comments

The wrongful conviction that harms children

Posted on September 2, 2023 by andrew

Andrew L. Urban. Why am I writing about climate change on a blog devoted to wrongful convictions? My justification is that carbon dioxide has been wrongfully convicted of causing global warming, according to climate scientists, and the alarmism is causing … Continue reading →

Posted in General articles | 5 Comments

CCRC would relieve politicians of impossible choice

Posted on August 13, 2023 by andrew

As things stand, politicians burdened with the responsibilities of Attorney-General often face the impossible choice of advising the relevant Governor on petitions from innocents convicted of sexual abuse. It should not be their choice; legal matters should stay within the … Continue reading →

Posted in Case 06 'Paul', Case 22 Noel Greenaway, CCRC, General articles | 26 Comments

Sofronoff doesn’t go far enough on disclosure reform – Selby

Posted on August 12, 2023 by andrew

The recently released Sofronoff Report into the ACT Criminal Justice System’s handling of the Brittany Higgins rape allegation against Bruce Lehrmann recommends legislation to codify the scope and content of the obligation of disclosure owed by the prosecution in criminal … Continue reading →

Posted in General articles | 7 Comments