Righting a Wrongful Conviction: Advocating for Kathleen Folbigg

In 2003, Australian mother Kathleen Folbigg was wrongly convicted of killing her four children. Imprisoned for more than twenty years, Kathleen was finally exonerated in 2023. This Green College special event will be a conversation between Tracy Chapman, Gary Edmond and Emma Cunliffe about what it takes to right a wrongful conviction. Tracy Chapman is Kathleen’s childhood friend. She stood by Kathleen for two decades – and put her own life and career on hold – to address this miscarriage of justice. After studying Folbigg’s case, Emma Cunliffe and Gary Edmond joined Tracy in her calls for Kathleen’s conviction to be overturned. In our conversation, we will share what we have each learned from the fight for justice for Kathleen Folbigg. We’ll also reflect on the personal and professional costs of advocating for a wrongly convicted person, and on the daunting systemic barriers that face those who seek to review a conviction.

Tracy Chapman is a passionate advocate for animals, nature and social justice. Her dedication to supporting the voiceless with empathy and kindness is unwavering. As a 'Solutionary,' she is committed to tackling inhumane, unsustainableand unjust systems, creating equitable solutions for people, animals and the environment. Tracy's commitment to these values has been a guiding force in her life since she earned an undergraduate degree in business in the early 1990s. She has been a wildlife rescuer and carer since the early '90s and has advocated for her friend Kathleen Folbigg for nearly 20 years. Tracy's academic journey is equally impressive, with numerous post-graduate qualifications, including diplomas in Applied Science, Adult Vocational Education and Counselling. She is also nearing completion of a Master’s in Counselling and a Master’s in Autism and Developmental Education. With over 30 years of experience in media, communications, public speaking, project management and humane leadership, Tracy is now focused on developing Animal Assisted Growth and Learning Australia (AAGALA) to help others become the best humane beings they can be.

Emma Cunliffe is a Professor in the Allard School of Law at UBC who studies how courts decide facts of contested cases. She is particularly interested in expert evidence, the operation of implicit bias and the legal processes regarding gendered and racialized violence. She is a member of the Evidence-Based Forensics Initiative based in the University of New South Wales, author of Murder, Medicine and Motherhood (Hart: Oxford 2011; 2nd ed forthcoming), which provides a comprehensive evaluation of the wrongflul conviction of Kathleen Folbigg, and she is the fourth Principal of Green College.

Gary Edmond is a Professor in the School of Law at the University of South Wales where he directs the Program in Expertise, Evidence and Law. An active commentator on expert evidence in Australia, England, the US and Canada, his areas of expertise include expert evidence, forensic science, law and science, law and society, the sociology of scientific knowledge, public understanding of law and empirical legal studies. He is also the Chair of the Evidence-Based Forensics Initiative, and is co-author of Australian Evidence: A Principled Approach to the Common Law and the Uniform Acts (6th ed. LexisNexis, 2017).