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 Board
Chair: The Honourable Ian Callinan AC
Mr Callinan served as a Justice of the High Court of Australia for 9½ years. A qualified mediator and Grade 1 Arbitrator, he handles a wide range of commercial, energy, mining, and regulatory disputes both nationally and internationally. Ian has conducted public inquiries, governmental reviews, and provided expert witness testimony in international legal proceedings and arbitrations.
Anthony Glynn KC
Tony Glynn is a long-standing member of the Queensland Bar, called to the Bar in 1972 and taking silk in 1996. He served as President of both the Queensland and Australian Bar Associations. Now enjoying a well-deserved retirement, his practice included criminal defence, regulatory offence litigation, and domestic violence order applications. Tony has appeared in the High Court and various state courts and is sought after for his expertise in legal ethics.
Megan Mahon
Megan Mahon is the Legal Services Commissioner for Queensland. Megan holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and was admitted as a solicitor in Queensland in 1996. Since that time, Megan served as President of the Queensland Law Society and was an Executive Director of the Law Council of Australia. Commissioner Mahon is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law and recognition of her distinguished career includes numerous accolades, such as the 2009 Woman Lawyer of the Year and the 2017 Queensland Law Society President’s Medal.
Craig Eberhardt KC
Craig Eberhardt is based in Brisbane and specialises in criminal jury trials. He has appeared in many high profile and often controversial cases. Craig has worked exclusively in the field of criminal law for over 36 years and is a fierce advocate for the presumption of innocence and the rights of the accused.
Estelle Blackburn OAM CitWA CF
Estelle Blackburn is an award-winning Australian journalist and author. Her investigative work, notably in 'Broken Lives', led to the exoneration of two wrongfully convicted men in Western Australia. Estelle's contributions to justice and journalism have earned her the Medal of Order of Australia and a Walkley Award.
Stephen Keim SC
Stephen Keim is a founding member and head of chambers at Higgins Chambers in Brisbane and also practises from Republic Chambers in Hobart and Michael Kirby Chambers in Perth. He is known for his work in human rights and criminal law, appearing in a broad range of courts and tribunals including the High Court. Stephen is an active member of the Criminal Law Committee of the Bar Association of Queensland and the Human Rights Committee of the Law Council of Australia.
Rhanee Rego
Ms Rego is a solicitor in private practice specialising in criminal law, particularly in cases of potential wrongful conviction. As PhD candidate at the University of Newcastle, Rhanee's research analyses critically post-conviction review mechanisms in New South Wales. Ms Rego is well-known in the legal community for representing high-profile client Kathleen Folbigg for seven years.
Terry O’Gorman
Terry O’Gorman has a longstanding association with Robertson O’Gorman Solicitors and is President of the Australian Council for Civil Liberties. He is recognised as an Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law by the Queensland Law Society. With almost five decades of experience, Mr O’Gorman has received numerous accolades including the 2021 Law Council of Australia President’s Award for his unwavering dedication to justice and human rights advocacy.
Executive Committee
Director: Dr Robyn Blewer
Prof Therese Wilson
Prof Janet Ransley
Assoc Prof Dr Zoe Rathus AM
Ms Erin Mitchell
Mr Jonathan Nyst
Ms Fiona FitzPatrick
Ms Katherine Hanson
Project Officer
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
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.