About | Empowering the Innocent (ETI)

Dr Michael Naughton is a sociologist, critical criminologist, socio-legal scholar and author who is widely known for his expertise and practical engagements that centre on claims of innocence by alleged victims of false allegations, wrongful convictions and wrongful imprisonment.

From an interdisciplinary approach, straddling sociology, law, criminology, philosophy and psychology, he has researched the criminal justice system extensively to define and emphasise the likely scale, causes and forms of harm associated with miscarriages of justice and wrongful convictions, as well as the barriers and obstacles confronting prisoners maintaining innocence in terms of progression through the prison system and obtaining release. Building on this work, he has also highlighted the limitations and/or outright failings of the prison system, Parole Board, Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) and the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) in dealing with claims of factual innocence by alleged innocent victims of wrongful conviction and/or imprisonment.

Dr Naughton has also published extensively on miscarriages of justice, false allegations of alleged sexual offences and wrongful conviction and wrongful imprisonment. He is the author or editor of four books: The innocent and the criminal justice system (2013, Palgrave Macmillan) (click here); Rethinking miscarriages of justice: Beyond the tip of the iceberg (2012 [2007], Palgrave Macmillan) (click here); The Criminal Cases Review Commission: Hope for the innocent? (Editor, 2012 [2009], Palgrave Macmillan) (click here); and, Claims of innocence: An introduction to wrongful convictions and how they might be challenged (with Tan, G., 2010, University of Bristol/LexisNexis) (click here).

In addition, he has published over 90 further articles in leading peer-reviewed academic journals, edited book collections, professional journals, broadsheet newspapers and other specialist journals and magazines. In terms of peer-reviewed academic journals, this includes his research being published in The British Journal of Criminology, Critical Criminology, Critical Social Policy, International Journal of Evidence and Proof, Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, Criminal Law Quarterly and Critical Education. (Click here for all publications listed by year of publication).

Since September 2019, Dr Naughton has been the Founder and Director of Empowering the Innocent (ETI), a project he established to raise awareness of, and give voice to, alleged innocent victims of false allegations and wrongful convictions/imprisonment. To these ends, ETI is an umbrella for the following four platforms: CCRC Watch; False Allegations Watch (FAW); Innocence Art; and, Empowering the Innocent TV (ETI TV).

Between August 2014-August 2015, Dr Naughton was a member of the the Board of the Innocence Network, an affiliation of organisations round the World dedicated to providing pro bono legal and investigative services to individuals seeking to prove innocence of crimes for which they have been convicted and working to redress the causes of wrongful convictions. Based in the United States, the Innocence Network had 49 members in almost all US States at the time and had members in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, France, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, South Africa and the UK. The Innocence Network Board, which oversees the work of the Innocence Network, is composed of 21 members. During his tenure, Dr Naughton held one of only two seats reserved for non-US members.

Between September 2005-July 2015, Dr Naughton was Founder and Director of the first innocence project in the UK dedicated to investigating alleged wrongful convictions, the University of Bristol Innocence Project (UoBIP). This saw him spearhead the introduction of a new form of clinical legal education in the UK based on the innocence projects that originated in the United States. Under his supervision, student volunteers investigated alleged wrongful convictions on a pro bono basis, with input from criminal appeal lawyers and forensic experts where appropriate.

Between September 2004-July 2015, Dr Naughton was Founder and Director of Innocence Network UK (INUK), which saw him facilitate the setting up, and support the subsequent running, of a national network with a total of 36 Innocence Projects in the UK dedicated to investigating and overturning wrongful convictions. This included an innocence project in a corporate law firm, which was also a global first.

Between February 2004–May 2013, Dr Naughton was a Founding Steering Group Member of Progressing Prisoners Maintaining Innocence (PPMI), which lobbied on behalf of prisoners maintaining innocence. Now called Association for Prisoners Maintaining Innocence, Progressing Prisoners Maintaining Innocence (PPMI) was the title of an invited presentation given by Dr Naughton at the request of Bruce Kent, PPMI's first Chair, on his research on the obstacles and barriers to progression and release for prisoners maintaining innocence, which gave PPMI its name.

This website gives information about Michael's background, his work as an academic, and access to his books, publications by year, submissions to public enquiries, and contributions to the media.

Click here for information on how to contact Dr Naughton.