Australia’s longest-running Innocence Project
We began in 2002 and modelled our program on the Cardozo Law School Innocence Project at Yeshiva University, New York—the subject of the Netflix series The Innocence Files.
Gold Coast lawyers Chris Nyst and Jason Murakami founded the project with our first Director, Ms Lynne Weathered, at the Griffith Law School. The project has included hundreds of students, who have reviewed countless cases with our volunteer lawyers.
As the only Australian member of the International Innocence Network, the Griffith University Innocence Project is perfectly placed to contribute towards the global goal of uncovering, correcting and preventing wrongful convictions. We have contributed substantially to this movement and body of knowledge and are committed to ensuring criminal justice processes in Australia are the best they can be – and of a standard that a country like ours should have but doesn’t.
Taking the fight to injustice with a "Hurricane"
In our early years, we secured the support of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter (1937–2014). He even appeared in a striking television advertisement for Griffith University that many people still remember today.
Once a prize-winning welterweight boxer, Rubin fought for more than 20 years to clear his name for a crime he did not commit. His story was immortalised in the ‘70s hit song, Hurricane, by Bob Dylan—and, more recently, in the movie of the same name starring Denzel Washington.
Following his release from prison, where he narrowly escaped the electric chair, Rubin worked tirelessly to ensure others did not suffer the same plight he endured. He helped found the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted in Canada (now known as Innocence Canada) and strongly endorsed the Griffith University Innocence Project, which he visited in 2003. At that time, Griffith University awarded Rubin with an honorary doctorate.
Asking for help
We are currently accepting requests to review applications from people who claim to have been wrongfully convicted.
Our team
Director - Dr Robyn Blewer
Griffith Innocence Project Director Dr Robyn Blewer leads our research and strategic engagement. Robyn completed her thesis as part of the Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship’s Prosecution Project at Griffith Criminology Institute between 2013 and 2017. Working collaboratively with online research specialists, Robyn was part of a team that included some of Australia’s leading criminal justice historians working to digitise historical handwritten court registers from higher courts in Australia. It now forms the largest repository of historical criminal trial data in the world.
Robyn is also part of the Network Research Review Committee, which examines research requests submitted to the Innocence Network, an international coalition of affiliate organisations working to free the innocent and prevent wrongful convictions.
She is currently co-authoring a book chapter on international wrongful convictions and supervises two PhD students.
Katherine Hanson
Katherine has extensive experience in criminal law, child protection law and family law. She is currently practising Criminal Law at Legal Aid Queensland.
Ms Hanson’s professional affiliations include membership with the Queensland Law Society.
Jonathan Nyst
Jonathan is a senior associate with Nyst Legal and has a wealth of experience at all levels in the conduct of criminal and commercial litigation in all Queensland courts. He is an experienced litigator of criminal matters in the Local and District courts of New South Wales, and major consumer law litigation in the Federal Court of Australia. Since 2016, Jonathan has been a volunteer lawyer with the Griffith University Innocence Project. In 2022, he was recognised in the criminal law category of the Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Award.
Alex Somers
Alex is an associate with Nyst Legal. He possesses a strong understanding of criminal procedure gained through his studies and his extensive participation in the Griffith University Innocence Project.
Erin Mitchell
Erin is a senior criminal lawyer and one of the directors of Potts Lawyers. In 2017, she was recognised by the prestigious Doyle’s Guide as a national Leading Criminal Law Rising Star.
In 2018, Erin was also named as a finalist for Best Senior Associate in the Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards.
Advisory boards
Chair: The Honourable Ian Callinan AC
Mr Tony Glynn KC
Ms Megan Mahon
Mr Craig Eberhardt KC
Executive committee
Director: Dr Robyn Blewer
Prof Therese Wilson
Prof Janet Ransley
Ms Zoe Rathus AM
Ms Erin Mitchell
Mr Jonathan Nyst
Ms Fiona FitzPatrick
PhD students
Ms Ellen Carey
Ms Jess Wearne
Administration
Ms Jovanka Chu Olivares
Our supporters
We’re grateful to our supporters for their generosity, which allows us to not only do our work but support future students.
George Tanner Prize
With the generous support of George’s family, we proudly award the George Tanner Prize to the highest-achieving student in Trimester 1 and 2. Grades are assessed at the end of each trimester and the award is presented at the Griffith Law School Academic Awards the following year.
Enquiries
Innocence Project Legal Clinic
General telephone enquiries
General email enquiries
Postal address
Griffith University Innocence Project
Griffith Law School Gold Coast campus
Griffith University QLD 4222
Fraud alert
We have heard that there are people fraudulently representing themselves as working for Griffith's Innocence Project, promising legal representation in exchange for money. These people do not work for us.