Evidence-based justice clinic
The Evidence-based Justice Clinic is the clinical branch of our lab, and works within the University of Exeter Community Law Clinic. Students and academic work together with external partners and clients in order to ensure our work can benefit our community.
We offer case advice typically through providing advice to a persons lawyer, and can occasionally advise more broadly on cases where they are referred through the University of Exeter Access to Justice Clinic. Please contact us for more information on this service.
In the clinic we also work on collaborative projects with practitioner partners, which can be referred by potential partners directly or developed collaboratively. The projects we are currently working on include:
1. Admissions in Children
Examining decisions of young people to admit guilt, either to the police or in court, supported by our project partners at Transform Justice. We have conducted research into when and why children admit guilt, and the difficulties they may face in deciding whether to do so. Based on this data we are working to develop recommended model guidelines for the Law Society and also hope to develop resources to be used by the police when explaining relevant but complex concepts to children.
2. Evaluation of Testimony
We are drawing on insight from psychological research on memory and decision-making in order to understand how the probative value of testimony can be more accurately and consistently ascertained. We are also working with project partners to understand how they are currently assessing testimony and how best practice guidelines might be developed based on new research.
3. FORENSIC SCIENCE IN COURT
We are working with Clive Stafford Smith from Reprieve on a project examining and quantifying reliability of a variety of forensic science techniques used in court, and exploring their role in miscarriages of justice in the UK and USA.
