Criminology: Miscarriages of Justice – University Tutorial with Dr Sam Poyser from Aberystwyth University

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In this live interactive Criminology tutorial, we will be joined by Dr Sam Poyser, a leading academic from the Department of Law & Criminology at Aberystwyth University, who will explore Miscarriages of Justice.

In 1991, scholar Martin Yant concluded: ‘An innocent person in prison…is about as rare as a pigeon in the park!’ Wrongful convictions are much more common than we dare to think and are a global phenomenon. Many of the issues associated with wrongful convictions are the same over time and indeed globally. Drawing on criminological theory and research worldwide, including my own research undertaken over two decades, this workshop will examine wrongful convictions in a criminological context, over time (including the changing face of wrongful convictions), in different settings, and in a variety of countries.

This talk has a section where we discuss the notion of ‘No crime ever happened’ in relation to miscarriages of justice. When we do this, we will mention the case of Lucy Letby, wherein it has been alleged that no crimes occurred. In discussing Letby’s case, we will mention the deaths of neonates/babies at the Countess of Chester hospital 2015-2016. If you foresee this aspect of the discussion being in any way upsetting, please feel free to mute the sound on your device at that point.

The full context/introduction to this live and interactive discussion is provided below in the Headliner recorded resource. This recording can be watched as a class activity or independently in preparation for the discussion.

The session aims to deepen students’ understanding of the topic whilst enabling them to access and experience a live online university tutorial.

Lecturer Profile: Dr Sam Poyser

Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom, or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. There is no charge to take part.

As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but access to the Headliner recording will continue to be accessible.

Suitable for: Aged 16+ pre-university students studying or with an interest in studying Criminology, Law and related subjects. Teachers and members of school staff, as always, are welcome too and participants can join as individuals from school/college or home, or as a group from school/college.

Preparation/Pre-Reading: Students are asked to watch the Headliner video above in preparation for the live event. Students can also think about questions they have about studying at university level.

The IT Setup: The event will be run on Zoom and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting on to a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the university via a microphone and/or typed comments and questions. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.

Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below:

Register here