2016
UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) British Horizons: British Professional Exchange Programme
Invited visit to Armenia as part of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) British Horizons: British Professional Exchange Programme to advise various governmental and non-governmental organisations on issues relating to the causation and remedy of miscarriages of justice, February 1-6. Click here for more information.
2014
Elected to the Innocence Network Board
In 2014, Michael was elected to the Board of The Innocence Network, an affiliation of organizations round the World dedicated to providing pro bono legal and investigative services to individuals seeking to prove innocence of crimes for which they have been convicted and working to redress the causes of wrongful convictions. Based in the United States, the Innocence Network has 49 members in almost all US States and has members in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, France, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, South Africa and the UK. The Network Board, which oversees the work of the Innocence Network, is composed of 21 members. Michael held one of only two seats reserved for non-US members. Click here for Innocence Network Board Directory – 2014.
Submitted as a University of Bristol Impact Case Study
In recognition of the impact of his research and public engagement activities, Michael’s work was submitted by the University of Bristol as an Impact Case Study to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) in 2014 (click here). The REF was introduced as a system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions, which it does every 6 or 7 years. The REF 2014 was the first exercise to assess the impact of research outside of academia. Almost 7,000 Impact Case Studies were submitted to REF 2014 by universities in the UK. Michael’s case study, ‘Innocence: assisting victims of wrongful imprisonment’ (click here), was one of three submitted to the Sociology Panel by the University of Bristol which were collectively ranked as 2nd in the UK.
2012
Invited international expert at the International Conference on the Issues of Life-term Prisoners in Yerevan, Armenia
Invited international expert at the International Conference on the Issues of Life-term Prisoners in Yerevan, Armenia, November 20-22. Paper entitled: ‘Innocence projects and DNA testing in reviewing claims of innocence by life-sentenced prisoners maintaining innocence’. Click here for more information.
Invited international expert at the International Conference on the Prevention of Wrongful Convictions, China
Invited international expert at the International Conference on the Prevention of Wrongful Convictions, Senior Prosecutors Research and Advanced Study Center of Jilin Province, ChangChun, China, 6-8 August: paper entitled: ‘Preventing Wrongful Convictions in England and Wales: Abortions of Justice versus Miscarriages of Justice’. Click here for more information.
2011
Invited inaugural speaker for the ‘Bristol Genius’ Public Lecture Series, Bristol Festival of Ideas
Michael was invited to be the inaugural speaker for the ‘Bristol Genius’ Public Lecture Series, Bristol Festival of Ideas, Watershed, Bristol, 21 May.
2010
Influenced the agenda on wrongful conviction research in the United States
Michael was invited as an international expert by National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the research arm of the US Department of Justice, to participate in two-days of workshops to form the basis for future federal research and policy on wrongful convictions in the US. ‘International perspectives on wrongful convictions’, Washington, D.C., United States, 13-14 September. Michael’s research is cited variously in the official report of the proceedings and I was one of a small number of participants who was invited to provide authored contributions in the official report, and the only participant to have two entries. Click here for the official report.
The Impact of University Research – Changing Worlds Showcase
Invited presentation at the SETsquared Partnership event called ‘Changing Worlds’ in London, which brought together leaders from across Government, industry, research bodies and academia. It ‘showcased the impact of some of the world leading research’ to come out of its partner universities – Bristol, Bath, Southampton, Exeter and Surrey, 13 October. Click here for more information and here for the brochure of the event.
Invited presentation at the House of Commons
Invited by John McDonnell MP to give a presentation at the House of Commons on the findings of my research on the limits of the criminal appeals system to deal with claims of factual innocence by alleged victims of miscarriages of justice, 2 December.
2008
100: A collection of words and images to mark the centenary of the University of Bristol
Michael was one of only 60 past and present Bristol students and/or members of staff to be featured in the book to celebrate the centenary of the University of Bristol. Click here for more information.
Influenced a new regime for dealing with prisoners maintaining innocence
Michael conducted the first (and, to date, only) piece of empirical research on the obstacles and barriers to progression and release for life-sentenced prisoners maintaining innocence. The abridged findings were published in the peer-reviewed Prison Service Journal as: ‘Factual Innocence versus Legal Guilt: The Need for a New Pair of Spectacles to view the Problem of Life-Sentenced Prisoners Maintaining Innocence’ . This article and follow-up exchanges with NOMS/Ministry of Justice influenced a new way of dealing with prisoners maintaining innocence by influencing reforms to Prison Service Order (PSO) 4700, which governs the treatment of indeterminate sentenced prisoners. Crucially, prison and probation staff in prisons in England and Wales are now instructed to recognise, officially, that some prisoners maintaining innocence are, in fact, innocent and to deal with them on this basis rather than seeing them all as merely “deniers”. The full research findings are published in Chapter 5 of The Innocent and the Criminal Justice System.
2007
BBC Rough Justice: The Innocents’ Brief
The last ever BBC Rough Justice programme, The Innocents’ Brief, featured Michael’s work with the University of Bristol Innocence Project, the first innocence project in the UK dedicated to investigating alleged wrongful convictions. More specifically, it followed 5 University of Bristol Innocence Project students investigating the alleged wrongful conviction and imprisonment case of Simon Hall, convicted and given a life sentence for the murder of Joan Albert. Also featured Keir Starmer QC as the instructing barrister. Click here for more information.
2006
Invited presentation at the House of Commons
Invited by Bruce Kent, Chair, Progressing Prisoners Maintaining Innocence (PPMI), to give a presentation at the House of Commons based on my research on prisoners maintaining innocence, May.
BBC 1 Drama Series, The Innocence Project
Michael inspired and gave domestic relevance to a BBC One television drama series, The Innocence Project. Click here for more information.
2005
Invited consultation with an MP
Consulted by Claire Curtis-Thomas MP, Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Group for Abuse Investigations, on miscarriages of justice and the criminal justice system, July.
Invited consultation with the Home Office
Invited by the Home Office to consult senior representatives of criminal justice system agencies (Parole Board, Criminal Cases Review Commission, prisons, probation, prison psychology) on my research on the obstacles and barriers to progression and release for prisoners maintaining innocence, Home Office, London, July.