INUK is the umbrella organisation that was set up by Dr Michael Naughton at the University of Bristol to facilitate and support the creation and subsequent running of member innocence projects in UK universities.

INUK was establised because the problem of overturning the wrongful conviction of factually innocent people was not sufficiently resolved by the creation of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), the body set up in the wake of notorious cases such as the Guildford 4 and the Birmingham 6 to investigate alleged cases of miscarriage of justice.

INUK draws support from all parts of the wrongful conviction community - academics, criminal appeal lawyers, victim support groups and campaigning organisations, forensic scientists and investigative journalists.

INUK works towards delivering its core functions of casework, research and communication through the vehicle of education in the university sector as a means of endeavouring to influence practical changes to the criminal justice system in this pressing area of public concern.

Importantly, the INUK is NOT a campaign or victim support group.

INUK's legal and charitable status is covered by the University of Bristol, an exempt charity that is not required to register with the Charity Commission.

Despite the creation of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) or the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) in Scotland, the problem of the wrongful conviction and/or imprisonment of factually innocent people remains a continuing feature of our criminal justice system. Put simply, innocent people are still being convicted and find it difficult, sometimes impossible, to have their cases referred back to the appeal courts.

2. VICTIMS:
The wrongful conviction of innocent people inevitably results in serious financial and emotional damage far beyond harm to the prisoner only. It extends to family, friends and society itself, because the real perpetrator is still at large and justice has not been done.

3. PROGRESSING PRISONERS MAINTAINING INNOCENCE:
Life sentenced prisoners maintaining innocence are, generally, unable to progress through the prison system, with a view to consideration for parole, as they refuse to acknowledge their crimes (because they maintain innocence), which the system considers an essential pre-requisite for rehabilitation. So they are faced with the impossible decision of admitting to the crime, in the hope of release, or continuing to maintain innocence, knowing that they may never come out of prison as a result.

4. NO ALTERNATIVE ORGANISATION:
The INUK was established because there is no other organisation that can address these problems in the same way. As an independent umbrella organisation, with a firm educational base, it can provide a strong voice in a unique, collaborative way.

1. The INUK has a central database administration system which deals with all enquiries from prisoners, representatives and members of the public and decides on the eligibility of cases for member innocence projects to work on. It provides cases to member innocence projects from its central casebank, established by gathering letters from prisoners maintaining innocence and members of the public who allege that they were wrongly convicted over past years. The database serves to avoid different innocence projects duplicating work for the same clients, and provides a valuable and evolving central research base.

2. It gives affiliating universities the benefit of membership of a national educationally-driven organisation, with access to wider supporters and contacts from the diverse world of the miscarriage of justice community.

3. It provides cases to member innocence projects from its central casebank, established by gathering letters from prisoners maintaining innocence over past years. The database serves to avoid different innocence projects duplicating work for the same clients, and provides a valuable and evolving central research base.

4. It provides a low cost annual national training programme, subsidised where necessary, regularly reviewed and consisting of high quality sessions and materials, designed to avoid the need for each innocence project to re-invent the training wheel. Bristol and Cardiff universities were jointly ‘Highly Commended’ by Lord Goldsmith in the Attorney General’s Pro Bono Awards 2007 for collaboration on devising and delivering the INUK national training programme.

5. It acts as a voice for the innocence project community in wider debates about clinical legal education.

6. Member innocence projects have access to key personnel within the wider INUK network for expert assistance with any queries they may have.