On 28 June, Melbourne barrister, Ken Howden, gave a presentation to the Victorian Bar that detailed his experiences volunteering for the Capital Post-Conviction Project of Louisiana in 2015-16.
During his presentation, Ken highlighted the differences between the administration of Louisiana’s criminal justice system and that of Victoria; in particular, the role of political influence upon Louisianan District Attorneys and judiciary. Ken also discussed the landmark U.S. case Brady v Maryland (1963) which established the requirement for prosecuting counsel to turn over all evidence that might absolve a defendant, and cited case examples that violated this rule.
Read about the work of Reprieve here: http://www.reprieve.org.au/