2025-12-31-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 01/01/2025 To 31/12/2025

Charity name: Innocence Project London

Charity registration number: 1190617

Objectives and Activities

	SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document	Para 1.17	The Innocence Project London (IPL) provides students with the opportunity to review and investigate cases of convicted individuals who have maintained their innocence but have exhausted the criminal appeals process. The aim of our work is to submit an application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) on behalf of our clients. The CCRC is an independent body which reviews possible miscarriages of justice in the United Kingdom. In order for the CCRC to refer a case back to the Court of Appeal they need to identify new evidence, or a new legal argument not identified at the time of the trial, that might have changed the whole outcome of the trial if the jury had been given a chance to consider it. The IPL supports convicted individuals to make these applications pro bono, filling a gap in the criminal legal system where there is limited funding for lawyers to undertake this work
Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts.	Para 1.17 and 1.19	• By providing administrative and expert support in collaboration with other public bodies to convicted individuals whose convictions may be unsafe • By making submissions to the Criminal Cases Review Commission on behalf of individuals who claim to be wrongfully convicted or who have suffered a miscarriage of justice • By creating awareness about wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice in England and Wales • By creating awareness of issues concerning the disclosure of evidence post-conviction through conducting research and by publishing useful results

		• By promoting education and conducting research into areas of criminal law
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit	Para 1.18	The trustees have complied with the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and are fully aware of the charity’s objects and purpose. The trustees have fulfilled their duties with the public benefit of IPL in mind at all times

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements	Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements	where relevant about:
	SORP reference
Policy on grant making	Para 1.38	The IPL is not a grant-making charity and does not have a policy on grant making.
Policy on social investment including program related investment	Para 1.38	The board of trustees are continuing to explore social investment as a vehicle for fundraising but there is currently no specific fundraising policy although one will be prepared before mid 2027
Contribution made by volunteers	Para 1.38	During the reporting period Weil, Gotshal and Manges provided 40 lawyers and 340.2 hours of pro bono legal support with case assessment. From the law firm Gibson Dunn, 17 lawyers provided 306 hours for the purpose of case assessment. For the case work, 36 students worked between 4-6 hours each week investigating claims of innocence across five cases.
Other

Achievements and Performance

	SORP reference
Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole.	Para 1.20	In the reporting period this year we have worked to generate activities that support all of our charitable aims as laid out in para 1.17 and 1.19 1. We actively investigated six cases, and we have one application to the CCRC pending submission and one application under consideration with the CCRC. This supports out charitable aim of providing support to individuals whose convictions may be unsafe with a view to developing applications to the CCRC on our clients behalf. This also support our aim of providing clinical legal education to students at the University of Greenwich. 2. We released seven episode of the IPL podcast in the last year, with a total of 250 downloads between them. These included interviews with interns, and individuals who work closely with the IPL. This brings to total downloads across 25 episodes to 3,822. This helps to raise awareness of our work around the world and supports our charitable aim of creating public awareness of wrongful convictions. 3. The IPL hosted 5 interns from University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and the University of Notre Dame who carried out case work and also worked on our social media presence. This supports our charitable aim of promoting education and research in areas of criminal law. 4. Hosted one of the largest IPL annual symposium’s with two fantastic guest speakers to continue raising awareness of the work we do. This was attend by 113 guests most of whom, were students and staff at the University of Greenwich.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Achievements against objectives set	Para 1.41	Two new trustees were recruited.
Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set	Para 1.41	We continue our relationship with Alcotraz, a prison-themed immersive theatrical experience with locations across the UK. Under the agreement, Alcotraz donates a percentage of their revenue to IPL. We secured a £5000 restricted grant from Clifford Chance to delivery on a communication to prisons project
Investment performance against objectives	Para 1.41	NA
Other

Financial Review

Financial Review
Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period	Para 1.21	At the end of the financial year 2025, IPL had a surplus of £2.7K
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held	Para 1.22	NA
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22	£9152
Reasons for holding zero reserves	Para 1.22	NA
Details of fund materially in deficit	Para 1.24	NA
Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern	Para 1.23	NA

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising)	Para 1.47	IPL has a partnership with Alcotraz that provides a percentage of their ticket revenues to the charity. Donations from individuals are another source of income. Work is ongoing to seek funding from trusts and foundations as well as corporations and partnerships. In the last quarter of 2025 we have secured a £5000 grant from the Clifford Chance Foundation to deliver on a prison project

Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted	Para 1.46	NA
A description of the principal risks facing the charity	Para 1.46	NA
Other

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter)	Para 1.25	The IPL is governed by a formal Constitution and registration with the Charities Commission which is subject to formal regulations in England and Wales.
How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO)	Para 1.25	The IPL is structured as a CIO and is governed by a formal Constitution document that outlines the following: • Objectives and powers • Application of income and property • Benefits and payments to charity trustees and connected persons • Scope and powers permitting trustees' or connected persons' benefits • Conflicts of interest and/or loyalty • Charity trustees • Eligibility for trusteeship • Decision making powers • Meeting protocols
Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees	Para 1.25	• Trustees are appointed in a standard interview process by at least three Board members. • Apart from the first charity trustees, every appointed trustee must be appointed by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees. • In selecting individuals as appointed trustees, the trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge, and experience for the administration of the CIO. • A trustee ceases to hold office if he or she:

1) Retires by notifying the CIO in writing (if enough charity trustees will remain in office when notice of resignation takes effect to form a quorum for meetings) 2) Is absent without permission from the charity trustees, from all meetings held within six months and the trustees resolve that his or her office be vacated

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees	Para 1.51	The charity trustees may delegate any of their powers or functions to a committee or committees, and, if they do, they shall determine the terms and conditions on which the delegation is made. The charity trustees may alter those terms and conditions or revoke the delegation
The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works	Para 1.51	NA
Relationship with any related parties	Para 1.51	The Innocence Project London is based at the University of Greenwich which also provides office space and ad hoc administrative support to the project whose students undertake the work
Other

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name	Innocence Project London
Other name the charity uses
Registered charity number	1190617
Charity’s principal address	University of Greenwich, Park Row, Greenwich SE10 9LS

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1	Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany)
	Nuala Walsh		09/12/21

2 3 4 5 6 7	Alexa Curtis		01/07/24
	Rossana Rocchini		01/07/24
	Isabelle Brennan		01/01/25
	Katherine Youssouf		01/01/25
	Natalia Lopez		01/06/26
	KingsleyKemish		01/06/26

– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved

Director name Louise Hewitt

Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity

Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year

Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others

Description of the assets held in this capacity	NA
Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects	NA
Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets	NA

Additional information (optional)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)	Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)	Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of adviser Name Address
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Exemptions from disclosure

Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details

Other optional information

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Full name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Date
	Rossana Rocchini
	Treasurer
	20/08/2026
	20/08/2026