Investigating miscarriages of justice: award-winning journalist Louise Shorter in conversation at the University of Winchester
The award-winning investigative journalist behind one of the most talked about programmes on television this year speaks about her documentary series and miscarriages of justice at the University of Winchester on Tuesday 29 November.
Louise Shorter featured in the two-part Making a Murderer-style documentary series Conviction: Murder at the Station which aired on BBC2 in September. Cameras followed Louise as she searched for new evidence to support the appeal of Roger Kearney, a Southampton man in prison for the murder of his secret lover.
The gripping documentary became one of the most talked about shows on television this year and generated huge interest in the national media.
On 29 November, Louise will be in conversation with Brian Thornton, leading journalist, lecturer and co-founder of the Crime and Justice Research Centre at the University of Winchester. The conversation will cover Louise's work on the Kearney case along with a broader discussion on miscarriages of justice.
In 2010, Louise - a former producer on the ground-breaking BBC series Rough Justice- set up Inside Justice, a charity that harnesses the skills of forensic experts, criminal lawyers and former police detectives to investigate and challenge convictions they believe could be wrong.
Conviction focussed on the case, investigated by Inside Justice, of Paula Poolton who went missing in October 2008. Her body was found 11 days later in the boot of her car parked outside the local railway station. It was subsequently revealed that Paula had been having an affair with Roger Kearney.
"Conviction was one of the most important documentaries about the criminal justice system in recent years. Louise's investigation was nothing short of extraordinary and we are extremely honoured to have someone of her standing coming to Winchester to talk about her work," comments Brian Thornton.
"For anyone who has become interested in the issue of miscarriage of justice through documentaries like Making a Murderer, this event is not to be missed."
The event marks the launch of the Winchester Justice Project (WJP), the successor of the Winchester Innocence Project which was established at the University in 2008.
The Project, which works in collaboration with Inside Justice, investigates possible miscarriages of justice and is staffed by University undergraduate and postgraduate students studying criminology and journalism and their lecturers. It has just taken on its first case investigating a possible miscarriage of justice.
The WJP is part of the Crime and Justice Research Centre at the University of Winchester. The Centre was established in 2013 by Brian Thornton and Dr Alan Grattan, Programme Leader for Criminology and Director of the Crime and Justice Research Centre.
Their vision was for the Centre to act as both a catalyst and a forum for researchers and experts to come together to share their work on issues related to crime and justice.
Conviction: Murder at the Station with Louise Shorter and Brian Thornton takes place between 6pm and 8pm on Tuesday 29 November in the Stripe Auditorium, King Alfred Campus, University of Winchester, Sparkford Road, Winchester SO22 4NR.
There is no charge to attend and no booking is required.
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