ACCUSED.SCOT
Articles
Source-led analysis of Scottish criminal justice procedure, FOI findings, and evidential rules.
What Scotland Still Does Not Properly Measure
A look at the systemic asymmetry in Scottish criminal justice data recording, where the administrative structures surrounding allegation remain visible, while the metrics for tracking proven fabrications remain…
No Equality Assessment for Scotland’s Transcript Scheme
A Freedom of Information response confirms that no formal Equality Impact Assessment was carried out before the introduction of Scotland's complainer transcript scheme, while legal advice on its…
When Access to Justice Depends on the Balance Sheet
Internal Scottish Government material released under Freedom of Information law shows that concerns about affordability and access to justice were being raised throughout a court fee consultation at…
The Terminology Debate They Didn’t Publish.
Internal Scottish Government material released under Freedom of Information law reveals that officials, senior legal stakeholders, and parliamentary representatives explicitly debated whether the use of the word "victim"…
Recorded, But Not Recognised
A Freedom of Information response from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service confirms that Scotland's prosecution system holds no mechanism for identifying or analysing allegations later shown…
What Happens When a System Cannot See Itself
This Freedom of Information series on Scotland’s criminal justice system set out to answer a straightforward question. Not how the system is supposed to work, but how it…
The Working Group That Isn’t
Court transcripts sit at the centre of the appeal process in Scotland. An appeal depends on identifying what was said in court, how evidence was led, and how…
Scrutiny After Permission: Access to Trial Transcripts in Scotland
There is a basic assumption in any criminal justice system. If a conviction is going to be challenged, the record of what happened in court has to be…
When Asked for the Record, None Was Found
A review response from the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, issued on 17 April 2026, confirms under section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 that…
Police Scotland Holds Moorov Guidance, But Refuses to Disclose It
A Freedom of Information request confirmed that Police Scotland holds internal guidance on the use of the Moorov doctrine in investigations involving multiple unconnected complainers. The guidance exists.…
More Than 300 Complaints. None Upheld at Abertay
After a five-month investigation and more than 300 complaints, Abertay University concluded that the inclusion of a speaker from Justice for Innocent Men Scotland was appropriate in the…
We Asked for Evidence. None Was Provided.
Earlier coverage on this site showed that Scotland’s justice system cannot meaningfully record how some of its most important mechanisms are used. The Moorov doctrine leaves no searchable…