Members of the Griffith College law faculty began work on the Irish Innocence Project in October 2009 and on the 6th of March 2010 the Project was officially launched. This is the first initiative of its kind in Ireland and is being led by David Langwallner, B.A., LL.M (Harvard), BL, Dean of Law at Griffith College. The launch was overseen by Dr. Greg Hampikian, director of the Idaho Innocence Project and DNA expert for the Georgia Innocence Project. The Irish Innocence Project is one of 68 similar projects worldwide, including in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom which has been validated by the Innocence Network. It is one of only two of the 68 which has both law and journalism students working cooperatively on cases.
The Irish Innocence Project currently has 21 law and journalism student caseworkers and interns from Griffith College, Trinity College and Dublin City University who are investigating about 25 cases in which it is believed that someone has been wrongfully convicted. This work is carried out under the supervision of qualified and practising barristers who advise the students. The students review all aspects of a chosen case, from the original investigation to the final appeal.
The Irish Innocence Project is the only innocence project in the world whose home is a 200-year-old former prison where, at least, one man, Joseph Poole, is believed to have been wrongfully convicted, hanged and is buried in an unmarked grave somewhere on the grounds.
The Irish Innocence Project has been approved as a tax-exempt charity by the Revenue Department of Ireland.