Conviction of a person for a crime that they did not commit

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miscarriage of justice</span>

Miscarriage of justice

<p>A <b>miscarriage of justice</b> occurs when a grossly unfair outcome occurs in a <a href="/en/Criminal_procedure" title="Criminal procedure" class="wl">criminal</a> or <a href="/en/Civil_procedure" title="Civil procedure" class="wl">civil proceeding</a>,<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-US-miscarriage_of_justice_1-0"><a href="#cite_note-US-miscarriage_of_justice-1" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 1;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[1]</span></a></span> such as the conviction and punishment of a person for a <a href="/en/Crime" title="Crime" class="wl">crime</a> they <a href="/en/Actual_innocence" title="Actual innocence" class="wl">did not commit</a>.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-Black's_2-0"><a href="#cite_note-Black's-2" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 2;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[2]</span></a></span> Miscarriages are also known as <b>wrongful convictions</b>. Innocent people have sometimes ended up in prison for years before their conviction has eventually been overturned. They may be exonerated if new evidence comes to light or it is determined that the police or prosecutor committed some kind of misconduct at the original trial. In some jurisdictions this leads to the payment of compensation.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-auto_3-0"><a href="#cite_note-auto-3" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 3;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[3]</span></a></span></p>

<div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none" about="#mwt1">Conviction of a person for a crime that they did not commit</div>
<p class="mw-empty-elt"></p>
<style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles mw:Transclusion">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li::after{content:" · ";font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li:last-child::after{content:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:first-child::before{content:" (";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:last-child::after{content:")";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol{counter-reset:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li{counter-increment:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li::before{content:" "counter(listitem)"\a0 "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li ol>li:first-child::before{content:" ("counter(listitem)"\a0 "}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1126788409" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles">.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1045330069" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles">.mw-parser-output .sidebar{width:22em;float:right;clear:right;margin:0.5em 0 1em 1em;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #aaa;padding:0.2em;text-align:center;line-height:1.4em;font-size:88%;border-collapse:collapse;display:table}body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .sidebar{display:table!important;float:right!important;margin:0.5em 0 1em 1em!important}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-subgroup{width:100%;margin:0;border-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-left{float:left;clear:left;margin:0.5em 1em 1em 0}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-none{float:none;clear:both;margin:0.5em 1em 1em 0}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-outer-title{padding:0 0.4em 0.2em;font-size:125%;line-height:1.2em;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-top-image{padding:0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-top-caption,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-pretitle-with-top-image,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-caption{padding:0.2em 0.4em 0;line-height:1.2em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-pretitle{padding:0.4em 0.4em 0;line-height:1.2em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-title,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-title-with-pretitle{padding:0.2em 0.8em;font-size:145%;line-height:1.2em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-title-with-pretitle{padding:0.1em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-image{padding:0.2em 0.4em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-heading{padding:0.1em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-content{padding:0 0.5em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-content-with-subgroup{padding:0.1em 0.4em 0.2em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-above,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-below{padding:0.3em 0.8em;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-collapse .sidebar-above,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-collapse .sidebar-below{border-top:1px solid #aaa;border-bottom:1px solid #aaa}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-navbar{text-align:right;font-size:115%;padding:0 0.4em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-list-title{padding:0 0.4em;text-align:left;font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6em;font-size:105%}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-list-title-c{padding:0 0.4em;text-align:center;margin:0 3.3em}@media(max-width:720px){body.mediawiki .mw-parser-output .sidebar{width:100%!important;clear:both;float:none!important;margin-left:0!important;margin-right:0!important}}</style><table class="sidebar nomobile nowraplinks plainlist"><tbody><tr><th class="sidebar-title"><a href="/en/Criminal_procedure" title="Criminal procedure" class="wl">Criminal procedure</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-above" style="font-weight:normal; padding:0 0 0.6em;">
Criminal trials and convictions</td></tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading notheme" style="background:#aaddff; color:#000;">
Rights of the accused</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content" style="padding-top:0.25em;">
<div class="hlist ">
<ul><li><a href="/en/Right_to_a_fair_trial" title="Right to a fair trial" class="wl">Fair trial</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Pre-trial" title="Pre-trial" class="mw-redirect wl">Pre-trial</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Speedy_trial" title="Speedy trial" class="wl">Speedy trial</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Jury_trial" title="Jury trial" class="wl">Jury trial</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Right_to_counsel" title="Right to counsel" class="wl">Counsel</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Presumption_of_innocence" title="Presumption of innocence" class="wl">Presumption of innocence</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Exclusionary_rule" title="Exclusionary rule" class="wl">Exclusionary rule</a><sup><small>1</small></sup></li>
<li><a href="/en/Self-incrimination" title="Self-incrimination" class="wl">Self-incrimination</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Double_jeopardy" title="Double jeopardy" class="wl">Double jeopardy</a><sup><small>2</small></sup></li>
<li><a href="/en/Bail" title="Bail" class="wl">Bail</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Appeal" title="Appeal" class="wl">Appeal</a></li></ul>
</div></td>
</tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading notheme" style="background:#aaddff; color:#000;">
<a href="/en/Verdict" title="Verdict" class="wl">Verdict</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content" style="padding-top:0.25em;">
<div class="hlist ">
<ul><li><a href="/en/Conviction" title="Conviction" class="wl">Conviction</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Acquittal" title="Acquittal" class="wl">Acquittal</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Not_proven" title="Not proven" class="wl">Not proven</a><sup><small>3</small></sup></li>
<li><a href="/en/Directed_verdict" title="Directed verdict" class="mw-redirect wl">Directed verdict</a></li></ul>
</div></td>
</tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading notheme" style="background:#aaddff; color:#000;">
<a href="/en/Sentence_(law)" title="Sentence (law)" class="wl">Sentencing</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content" style="padding-top:0.25em;">
<div class="hlist ">
<ul><li><a href="/en/Mandatory_sentencing" title="Mandatory sentencing" class="wl">Mandatory</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Suspended_sentence" title="Suspended sentence" class="wl">Suspended</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Custodial_sentence" title="Custodial sentence" class="wl">Custodial</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Periodic_detention" title="Periodic detention" class="wl">Periodic</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Discharge_(sentence)" title="Discharge (sentence)" class="wl">Discharge</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Sentencing_guidelines" title="Sentencing guidelines" class="wl">Guidelines</a></li></ul>
</div>
<ul><li><a href="/en/Totality_principle" title="Totality principle" class="wl">Totality</a><sup><small>5,<span>&nbsp;</span>6</small></sup></li>
<li><a href="/en/Dangerous_offender" title="Dangerous offender" class="wl">Dangerous offender</a><sup><small>4,<span>&nbsp;</span>5</small></sup></li></ul>
<div class="hlist ">
<ul><li><a href="/en/Capital_punishment" title="Capital punishment" class="wl">Capital punishment</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Execution_warrant" title="Execution warrant" class="wl">Execution warrant</a></li></ul>
</div>
<ul><li><a href="/en/Cruel_and_unusual_punishment" title="Cruel and unusual punishment" class="wl">Cruel and unusual punishment</a></li></ul>
<div class="hlist ">
<ul><li><a href="/en/Imprisonment" title="Imprisonment" class="wl">Imprisonment</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Life_imprisonment" title="Life imprisonment" class="wl">Life imprisonment</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Indefinite_imprisonment" title="Indefinite imprisonment" class="wl">Indefinite imprisonment</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Three-strikes_law" title="Three-strikes law" class="wl">Three-strikes law</a></li></ul>
</div></td>
</tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading notheme" style="background:#aaddff; color:#000;">
Post-sentencing</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content" style="padding-top:0.25em;">
<div class="hlist ">
<ul><li><a href="/en/Parole" title="Parole" class="wl">Parole</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Probation" title="Probation" class="wl">Probation</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Life_imprisonment_in_England_and_Wales" title="Life imprisonment in England and Wales" class="wl">Tariff</a><span>&nbsp;</span><sup><small>6</small></sup></li>
<li><a href="/en/Life_imprisonment_in_England_and_Wales" title="Life imprisonment in England and Wales" class="wl">Life licence</a><sup><small>6</small></sup></li>
<li><a href="/en/Criminal_justice" title="Criminal justice" class="wl">Criminal justice</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Exoneration" title="Exoneration" class="wl">Exoneration</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Habitual_offender" title="Habitual offender" class="wl">Habitual offender</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Miscarriage_of_justice" title="Miscarriage of justice" class="wl">Miscarriage of justice</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Pardon" title="Pardon" class="wl">Pardon</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Recidivism" title="Recidivism" class="wl">Recidivism</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Rehabilitation_(penology)" title="Rehabilitation (penology)" class="wl">Rehabilitation</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Restorative_justice" title="Restorative justice" class="wl">Restorative justice</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Sex_offender_registry" title="Sex offender registry" class="wl">Sex offender registry</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Sexually_violent_predator_laws" title="Sexually violent predator laws" class="wl">Sexually violent predator laws</a><sup><small>1</small></sup></li></ul>
</div></td>
</tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading notheme" style="background:#aaddff; color:#000;">
Related areas of law</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content" style="padding-top:0.25em;">
<div class="hlist ">
<ul><li><a href="/en/Civil_procedure" title="Civil procedure" class="wl">Civil procedure</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Category:Criminal_defenses" title="Category:Criminal defenses" class="wl">Criminal defenses</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Criminal_law" title="Criminal law" class="wl">Criminal law</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Evidence_(law)" title="Evidence (law)" class="wl">Evidence</a></li></ul>
</div></td>
</tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading notheme" style="background:#aaddff; color:#000;">
Portals</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content" style="padding-top:0.25em;;padding-bottom:0.75em;">
<div class="hlist ">
<ul><li><span class="noviewer"><a href="/en/File:Balance,_by_David.svg" class="mw-file-description image wl"><img loading="lazy"alt="icon" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Balance%2C_by_David.svg/30px-Balance%2C_by_David.svg.png" decoding="async" data-file-width="606" data-file-height="558" data-file-type="drawing" height="28" width="30" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Balance%2C_by_David.svg/46px-Balance%2C_by_David.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Balance%2C_by_David.svg/61px-Balance%2C_by_David.svg.png 2x"></a></span><span>&nbsp;</span><a href="/en/Portal:Law" title="Portal:Law" class="wl">Law<span> </span>portal</a></li></ul>
</div></td>
</tr><tr><td class="sidebar-below" style="padding:0.4em;border-top:1px #aaa solid;font-weight:normal;font-size:smaller; font-size:100%;border-bottom:1px solid #aaa;">
<div class="hlist ">
<ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup><small>1</small></sup><span>&nbsp;</span><a href="/en/Courts_of_the_United_States" title="Courts of the United States" class="mw-redirect wl">US courts</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup><small>2</small></sup><span>&nbsp;</span>Not in <a href="/en/Courts_of_England_and_Wales" title="Courts of England and Wales" class="wl">English/Welsh courts</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup><small>3</small></sup><span>&nbsp;</span><a href="/en/Courts_of_Scotland" title="Courts of Scotland" class="wl">Scottish courts</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup><small>4</small></sup><span>&nbsp;</span>English/Welsh courts</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup><small>5</small></sup><span>&nbsp;</span><a href="/en/Courts_of_Canada" title="Courts of Canada" class="mw-redirect wl">Canadian courts</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup><small>6</small></sup><span>&nbsp;</span><a href="/en/Courts_of_the_United_Kingdom" title="Courts of the United Kingdom" class="mw-redirect wl">UK courts</a></span></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-navbar"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1063604349" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/en/Template:Criminal_procedure_(trial)" title="Template:Criminal procedure (trial)" class="wl"><abbr>v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/en/Template_talk:Criminal_procedure_(trial)" title="Template talk:Criminal procedure (trial)" class="wl"><abbr>t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a rel="mw:ExtLink" href="//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Criminal_procedure_(trial)&amp;action=edit" class="external text" target="_blank"><abbr>e</abbr></a></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table>

<p>Academic studies have found that the main factors contributing to miscarriages of justice are: <a href="/en/Eyewitness_identification" title="Eyewitness identification" class="wl">eyewitness misidentification</a>; faulty <a href="/en/Forensic_analysis" title="Forensic analysis" class="mw-redirect wl">forensic analysis</a>; <a href="/en/False_confessions" title="False confessions" class="mw-redirect wl">false confessions</a> by vulnerable suspects; <a href="/en/Perjury" title="Perjury" class="wl">perjury</a> and lies stated by <a href="/en/Witness" title="Witness" class="wl">witnesses</a>; <a href="/en/Police_misconduct" title="Police misconduct" class="wl">misconduct by police</a>, <a href="/en/Prosecutorial_misconduct" title="Prosecutorial misconduct" class="wl">prosecutors</a> or <a href="/en/Judicial_misconduct" title="Judicial misconduct" class="wl">judges</a>; and/or <a href="/en/Ineffective_assistance_of_counsel" title="Ineffective assistance of counsel" class="wl">ineffective assistance of counsel</a> (e.g., inadequate <a href="/en/Defense_(legal)" title="Defense (legal)" class="wl">defense</a> strategies by the <a href="/en/Defendant" title="Defendant" class="wl">defendant</a>'s or <a href="/en/Respondent" title="Respondent" class="wl">respondent</a>'s legal team).</p>

<p>Some prosecutors' offices undertake <b>conviction integrity reviews</b> to prevent, identify, and correct wrongful convictions.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-4"><a href="#cite_note-4" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 4;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[4]</span></a></span></p>



A miscarriage of justice occurs when a grossly unfair outcome occurs in a criminal or civil proceeding, Academic studies have found that the main factors contributing to miscarriages of justice are: eyewitness misidentification; faulty forensic analysis; false confessions by vulnerable suspects; perjury and lies stated by witnesses; misconduct by police, prosecutors or judges; and/or ineffective assistance of counsel . Some prosecutors' offices undertake conviction integrity reviews to prevent, identify, and correct wrongful convictions. 