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The City Law School Innocence Project is a free, confidential LawWorks service which investigates potential miscarriages of criminal justice and supports clients seeking to challenge potentially unsafe convictions.
The Project combines supervised casework with clinical legal education, giving postgraduate law students the opportunity to develop practical criminal law skills while contributing to access to justice.
Our aims
1. To review and investigate potential miscarriages of criminal justice.
2. To provide postgraduate students with practical experience of criminal casework, evidence review and professional legal skills.
3. To contribute to research and wider understanding of the challenges facing the criminal justice system.
What we do
Student caseworkers, staff and volunteer criminal lawyers work together to review cases and identify potential grounds for an application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC). Where a case is accepted, students work under close supervision on the investigation and preparation of the matter.
The work may involve detailed review of historic case papers, legal research, evidence analysis, chronology building, identification of potential fresh evidence and drafting for a CCRC application.
The Project’s approach is client-centred and is developing its work through a trauma-informed and anti-racist lens.
How cases come to the Project
The Project cannot take every request for help. Cases are assessed against the Project’s remit, available evidence, supervision and capacity. Existing public information refers to cases being accepted through referral partners.
What students do
The Innocence Project is a postgraduate opportunity. Trained Student Caseworkers work in teams under the supervision of qualified criminal lawyers. Their work can include:
- reviewing and organising case papers and evidence
- building chronologies and identifying evidential issues
- researching criminal law, procedure and appellate issues
- assisting with investigation of potential fresh evidence
- preparing analysis and drafting for potential CCRC applications
- working collaboratively and maintaining clear case records.
Places are limited and participation is subject to training, selection and the availability of suitable casework.
Supervision and responsibility
Students are not professionally qualified and work under the close supervision of experienced criminal lawyers. The Project is led within The City Law School by lawyers with substantial criminal practice experience, supported by external lawyers and an expert network.
The individual responsible for a client’s case will be identified in the relevant client care information.
Research and reform
The Project also connects practical casework with research and criminal justice reform. This allows the experience of real cases to inform students’ understanding of wrongful convictions and wider systemic issues.
Client care, privacy and complaints
The Project is part of the LawIRL services. Personal information is handled under the LawIRL Privacy Notice and feedback or complaints are dealt with under the LawIRL Complaints and Compliments Policy.
BUTTON: Read the LawIRL Privacy Notice
BUTTON: Read the LawIRL Complaints and Compliments Policy
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A multi-million pound investment programme over the last decade underpins our commitment to offer the very best student experience while at City St George's - and launch your career when you have completed your studies.
To achieve this we have listened carefully to students before investing in our study and social infrastructure. We now offer award-winning spaces, allowing you to meet, study or socialise in facilities designed around user experience. Extensive remodelling of our buildings at Northampton Square has created:
- safe, light and airy space
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- cafes and coffee shops
- quiet and social study space
- community space for our Students’ Union, clubs and societies.
Our premises are integral to the City St George's commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and our pledge to become carbon neutral by 2040. In the Times Higher Education Impact rankings we are among the highest placed universities in London and the country for the action we are taking. We are able to do this through our students getting involved and driving change.
Workplace facilities
You will find we’ve considered the kind of specialist facilities used in the workplaces you will enter, and have introduced these for many of our courses.
From our state-of-the-art Optometry Clinic (City Sight) and Adult Nursing Clinical Skills Centre, to our professional Engineering laboratories and workshops, Journalism TV, radio and music recording studios, you will build the practical skills and experience for your career.
As the way we study develops, we are quick to adapt, creating new spaces and opportunities to explore better ways of learning. Our new Law School Building opens in 2020, complete with mock court and specialist Law Library.