About Sandra Lean

Sandra Lean is an author and researcher on the subject of miscarriages of justice. Her first book, No Smoke (available on Amazon) highlights several cases of wrongful conviction and examines the many factors that make these convictions possible. Sandra is currently studying for a PhD, which has been sponsored by The Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research – http://www.sccjr.ac.uk/.

Since 2003 Sandra has felt compelled to help innocent victims who have suffered a major injustice. Without payment, she has spent thousands of hours going through evidence and trial transcripts with a fine toothed comb, helping the legal teams out with her time and expertise. She does this because she is passionate about helping these falsely accused and wrongfully convicted people in any way she can, and because she is appalled that the British Judicial system is as flawed as it is, letting so many people down.

Sandra says:

I left school at 16, and worked full time for the next 16 years (with the exception of a year in Australia, and maternity leave for both kids) at a variety of jobs. At the age of 32, I started studying for my first degree, still working full time shift-work, and graduating 4 years later with an Honours degree. I became self employed in 2002, and have been ever since. I was offered a PhD studentship in 2008, which I accepted, still working to support myself and my kids. At the same time, I completed a Specialist Paralegal Qualification in Criminal Law.

I would never have foreseen my life taking this particular route. I’ve never had a family member wrongly accused or convicted, but once I became involved, I realized just how much there is to learn, and just how much I didn’t know! Families who find themselves in this horrendous situation are like I was nearly a decade ago – they have no idea that the system doesn’t work anything like they believe it does, they don’t know what to do, or who to turn to.

In many ways, I’m lucky, in that I can take a step back, because I’m not directly affected by the shock, trauma, disbelief, etc. I do, however, care deeply for those affected by wrongful accusation and conviction, and for the families of victims who are led to believe the proper perpetrator has been apprehended, when he/she/they are most likely still walking amongst us.

Wrongful conviction of innocent people is not justice, and it serves no-one, least of all the victims of terrible crimes, and their families. Perhaps the one thing that keeps me involved, apart from the many people whose cases I have looked at over the years, is the certain knowledge that this could happen to any one of us.

So long as my books, articles, speeches, research, or any other input I can offer, can help even one family caught up in this nightmare, then I will continue to research and expose all and any examples of injustice I find.