DNA Exonerations in the USA: A Lesson for Everyone

Innocent people have been - and continue to be convicted of crimes they did not commit. The tireless efforts of organisations like the Innocence Project in the United States of America (USA) have helped to free 325 wrongfully convicted individuals through post-conviction DNA testing. This number represents the tip of the 'miscarriages of justice' iceberg. Although the media spotlight is focused on the cases emerging from the USA, these issues are not theirs alone. Several other countries have overturned the convictions of innocent people (e.g., the Chamberlain case in Australia); however, none are on the same scale as the USA. In this paper, I highlight factors associated with these known wrongful convictions, and explain how criminal justice systems around the world are susceptible to these risk factors. Rather than viewing the US-based cases as an anomaly, I argue that governments should learn from their lesson and proactively introduce reforms.