Bruce MacFarlane QC – Legal scholar and Wrongful Conviction Advocate
During his career as a Canadian Crown Prosecutor, Assistant Attorney General and Deputy Minister of Justice, DNA technology was discovered, and confirmed the wrongful conviction of David Milgaard, who had spent 23 years in jail. This event had a huge impact in Canada and led Bruce on a journey to discover why wrongful convictions occur. He set up six commissions of inquiry in a quest to reveal the causes. In 2003 he delivered his seminal paper, Convicting the Innocent: A Triple Failure of the Justice System to the Commonwealth Heads of Prosecution. Since retiring from legal work Bruce has continued working to prevent wrongful convictions, writing papers and
teaching courses about the factors involved. Today, he is recognised internationally as an expert in this field. Bruce spoke of the most dangerous witness to ever enter the court room.
Professor Robert Moles is an Australian legal academic, author, and researcher whose work has focused on wrongful convictions, forensic evidence, and criminal justice reform.
Bob’s stunning presentation was an unbelievable account of what happens when an imposter forensic scientist works in the justice system and causes thousands of wrongful convictions.
Professor Bibi Sangha is a leading Australian legal scholar and expert in criminal
law, evidence, and appellate justice. Bibi spoke of how the system works against
successful appeals.
Sandy Watson, sister of Scott Watson gave a heart breaking account of how their
family was
impacted by a police stitch up and subsequent wrongful conviction. She spoke of how
wrongful convictions cause ongoing suffering and loss, and how we are all vulnerable to
this travesty of justice.
David Tamihere, wrongfully convicted of the murders of two Swedish tourists in the
Coromandel in 1989, spoke of his long journey to justice. He described how he endured
his loss of freedom and suffered an unfair trial when a prison snitch created a dramatic
story about what had happened. A fantastical set of lies that the jury swallowed hook, line, and sinker.
Justice for All 