Dr Michael Naughton is the Founder and Director of Empowering the Innocent (ETI), a research and criminal justice reform project centred on claims of innocence by alleged victims of false allegations and wrongful convictions/imprisonment. Empowering the Innocence (ETI) has four subprojects: CCRC Watch, False Allegations Watch (FAW), Innocence Art and ETI TV.
2005-2015: Founder and Director of the first innocence project to be established in the UK, the University of Bristol Innocence Project, which saw him spearhead the introduction of a new form of clinical legal education in the UK based on the innocence projects that originated in the United States. Under his supervision, student volunteers investigated claims of innocence by alleged victims of wrongful convictions on a pro bono basis, with input from criminal appeal lawyers and forensic experts where appropriate.
2004-2015: Founder and Director of Innocence Network UK (INUK), which saw him facilitate the setting up, and support the subsequent running, of a national network with a total of 36 Innocence Projects in the UK dedicated to investigating and overturning wrongful convictions. This included an innocence project in a corporate law firm, which was also a global first.
2014–2015: Board Member, Innocence Network (click here for more information).
2004–2013: Founding Steering Group Member, Progressing Prisoners Maintaining Innocence (PPMI), which lobbies on behalf of prisoners maintaining innocence. ‘Progressing Prisoners Maintaining Innocence’ was the title of a public presentation that Michael gave on the challenges facing life-sentenced prisoners maintaining innocence at the invitation of Bruce Kent (PPMI’s first Chair). It led to the group being set up and gave PPMI its name (Click here for more information).