Funding available to victims of miscarriages of justice: FOI release

Information requested

Bearing in mind Government’s additional grants to businesses and recent grants to Women’s Aid and Rape Crisis Scotland, what funds have you and your Ministers made, or propose making, available to the impoverished victims of this most barbaric of crimes?".
 

Response

Based on the wider commentary in your letter, I have interpreted your request as wishing to know what funds have the First Minister and Ministers made available, or propose making available, to victims of a miscarriage of justice.

The Scottish Government funding for MOJO Scotland in 2020-21 is set at £108,000. This represents an increase from the £105,000 that was provided in 2019-20 and from the £66,000 that was provided in 2018-19.
As you will be aware, a person can apply to the Scottish Ministers for compensation if they been wrongfully convicted of or charged with a crime. The Scottish Government operates two compensation schemes for miscarriages of justice. The compensation schemes are:

• the statutory scheme – if your conviction was reversed or you were pardoned
• the ex gratia scheme – if you spent time in custody after a wrongful conviction or charge
• because the police or another public authority did something seriously wrong, or there wereexceptional circumstances that justify the payment of compensation

In order to qualify for compensation, the person must meet the eligibility criteria. The decision will be based on the individual circumstances of their case. If person meets the eligibility criteria the application is then assessed by an Independent Assessor who will decided how much should be awarded to the applicant.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.