9th September 2025 - International Falsely Accused Day, (IFAD) Justice for Innocent Men in Scotland (JIMS) and What Happens When Cooperation, Empathy and a Common Goal Intertwine
- empowerinnocent
- 6 minutes ago
- 5 min read
IFAD is becoming a really important day in the calendar, with events planned for London, Liverpool and globally, but for reasons out of her control, the lovely lady who organises Liverpool had to pull out this year. With London being too far away for many, what could be done?
Until recently, the focus on false accusations has been mainly in England and Wales, but in 2025, the light began to fall on Scotland. Different from the rest of the UK, the Scottish system has a reputation for being secretive and archaic; impenetrable to the lay person.
However, in late 2024, a group of women visiting loved ones in HMP Barlinnie got chatting and had a collective light-bulb moment - the realization that their men-folk had all had what they believed to be crucial evidence withheld and so had suffered what they believe to be wrongful convictions. They questioned how guilty verdicts can be entered when there is so little in the way of ‘real’ evidence; how the focus of the system can be on minimising the stress and embarrassment of a complainer, instead of focusing on revealing the truth (the whole truth and nothing but the truth).
Dorothy Bains KC, the Lord Advocate and Scotland’s most senior lawyer, who should be unbiased, has often spoken of her wish to improve the justice system for victims of sexual crime and often these ‘improvements’ come at the cost of a detriment to the accused, stifling his ability to mount a defence.
In a nutshell, S274 and S275 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (known as the Rape Shield law) and the Moorov Doctrine, (unique to Scotland but apparent in England and Wales in other form), have been politically manipulated in the effort to increase convictions for rape and sexual crime.
Laws that were intended to protect complainers from inappropriate questioning at trial have been exploited to the extent that even respected lawyers are openly questioning the fairness of trials. Lawyers and defendants alike complain that exculpatory evidence is excluded and not only are unconnected events considered evidence to convict, but connected events are disregarded to the same end.
These women got together and formed JIMS, (Justice for Innocent Men in Scotland), and within a very short space of time had a very enthusiastic following. Leading KCs such as Thomas Ross and Tony Lenehan have also spoken openly about their concerns, hitherto unheard of in the secretive world of Scottish justice.
June of 2025 heralded JIMS’ first organised protest, held outside Holyrood, the Scottish parliament building in Edinburgh. It was extraordinarily well attended with about 150 participants, though as per usual, there was limited media attention. Another was planned for the not-too-distant future.
The solution to the IFAD crisis seemed obvious – with no-one experienced enough to organise an IFAD event in Scotland and anyway with limited time, would JIMS organisers consider holding their next protest that day? Fair trials and concern for those falsely accused are similar aspects of the same issue are they not?
There was no need to ask. With big hearts and a common purpose, that was already part of their plan so it duly happened and the JIMS protest took place on IFAD as the IFAD protest took place in London.
Dignified, respectful and peaceful, (with the added bonus of a piper, a uniquely Scottish touch), it garnered much interested from the passing public, not least of whom were tourists. A surprising number had heard of IFAD and all I spoke to expressed interest in learning more about it AND, of course, in learning more about the issues specific to JIMS.
Even the Police Liason Officer allocated to the protest expressed an interest in the day’s aims and objectives and seemed to appreciate the information. Yes, Officer, any woman could take it into her head to accuse you of sexual assault and you’d get suspended while it was ‘investigated’ at the very least. By the look on his face, that was a new and worrying thought. Cars tooted and occupants waved their support the whole time.
It’s all about raising awareness, and there was a LOT of that going on all day. As so often at these events, there was a continual chatter between participants and sharing of stories, some of which were particularly heart-rending. Hearing about a UK citizen incarcerated in a foreign jail on the basis of a demonstrably false allegation, talking to his heart-broken sister and elderly mother desperate for help but unable to find any, reinforces the fact that the issues are global and affect all nationalities, even British people abroad.
There can be no denying that there has been conflict between JIMS and a rival/opposing pressure group called JEMS, (Justice for Exploited and Mistreated Survivors), specifically formed recently to specifically target JIMS, and a small number of JEMS supporters were present as a counter-protest. However, the opening speech by the JIMS representative, Kirsty, made absolutely crystal clear that the aims of JIMS is entirely to do with the fairness of trials and not, in any way, to condemn genuine victims. Chants directed at the JIMS protest – didn’t help.
It takes a special kind of strength to endure all that has come the way of the JIMS organisation, but they are strong people who will one day, I am sure, be on the right side of history. JIMS protestors faced all with dignity and decorum and the question has to be asked – why would anyone argue against a fight for fair trials? Don’t fair trials benefit genuine victims as much as defendants (guilty or innocent)? Isn’t a safe verdict in the interests of all? The JEMS group has valid concerns - but conflict doesn’t help. One can argue all day about who threw the first insult – but it doesn’t help.
Dr Stuart Waiton, an esteemed academic at Abertay University, made a powerful speech, pointing out that Scotland no longer has a Criminal Justice System, it has a Victim Justice System, and highlighted the way that the whole justice system, from police to lawyers to judges, has slipped from talking about a complainer to talking about a victim. Calling a person a victim before a verdict undermines justice and the policy of ‘believe the victim’ also referred to in the highest circles, does the same.
These issues pertain to England and Wales in equal measure and cement the common ground between JIMS and IFAD. Academic papers, law enforcers and law makers alike talk only about a better system for complainer, nothing about being better for the accused, demonstrating that feminism, ideology and radicalism has corrupted the legal systems of the UK, every country now connected with IFAD and more.
And the world is waking up.
Banksy and his art could not have been more pertinent or its removal more telling.
In contrast to previous years and protests, the BBC was reporting on the JIMS protest within 2 hours of the start and reporters and photographers were filming and interviewing for most of the time that the protest took place. It remains to be seen how much makes the airwaves, but the Herald Newspaper had 2 separate articles published in each of their editions on that day. Kathleen Nutt, The Herald’s political reporter, has written on the topic before and is being true to her promise to write more. She takes pains to be balanced and fair. The BBC camera crew too. We cannot ask for more.
It is clear that ‘the IFAD/JIMS effect’ regarding the day will last for a while yet as X and Facebook posts are made over the next few days and long may it continue.
The day was exhilarating, but exhausting. An unexpected highlight was driving away from Holyrood a little before everyone else, with the sound of other passing cars tooting their horns in support ringing in our ears.
By Felicity Stryjak
Comments