“Above all else our aim is to facilitate the exoneration and release of the wrongfully convicted.”
The Bournemouth Innocence Project was founded and is currently being lead by a second year Law undergraduate, it is affiliated to the Innocence Network UK (INUK). This 2007 initiative is Bournemouth University’s first pro bono legal scheme.
The Bournemouth Innocence Project is co-ordinated and run by three students and is overseen by the LLB Law Programme leader. It works within the INUK’s guidelines. Working closely with local professionals and the University Law Department, this is a student-based initiative which seeks to overturn wrongful convictions and get innocent people released from prison.
Many Bournemouth students will have the opportunity to work through real case files to help build a case to send to the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
Students should gain practical experience of:
o Legal skills
o Critical thinking/ analysis
o Case management/ record keeping/ time management.
o Problem solving / creative thinking/ lateral thinking
o Communication skills – writing/ presentation skills
o Collaboration
o Finding and utilising variety of resources
o Use of different disciplines outside of law
o Acting like a professional and dealing with other professionals
o Dealing with clients
Please do NOT write to the Bournemouth Innocence Project directly under these conditions:
-
If you feel you have been wrongly convicted
-
If you are the friends and family of someone who you feel has been wrongly convicted
All of the cases we look at are given to us by the INUK (a central national organisation) and we urge you to contact them. However we are happy to pass on your details to the INUK on your behalf, if you so wish, particularly if you have a connection to the Bournemouth area. (However this is not a guarantee the Bournemouth Innocence Project will be able to take on your case.)
Please do
- If you would like to know more about the Bournemouth Innocence project
- If you are another Innocence Project and would like to contact us for any reason- we welcome the idea of project co-operation.
- If you are a member of the legal profession and would like to know how you can work with us pro bono.
- If you are a Bournemouth University Student of any discipline and would like to get involved in the project.
This list is not exhaustive, please do contact us under the heading of “further information” if you do not fit in our other categories – BUT IMPORTANTLY, it is necessary to reiterate: please do not ask us to look into a specific case- we are not allowed to take on cases that haven’t been sent to the INUK first.
