Policing of 1980s miners' strike to come under independent review
A prominent solicitor advocate is to lead an independent review into the impact of policing on communities during the miners’ strike that took place from March 1984 to March 1985.
Justice Secretary Michael Matheson has appointed John Scott QC to lead the review, saying he wanted it to bring "openness, understanding and a degree of closure" to all those involved.
Mr Matheson has also written to Home Secretary Sajed Javid, asking him to reconsider the UK Government’s refusal to hold an inquiry, on the basis that "only a UK-wide investigation could fully explore concerns about the involvement of the then UK Government".
The year-long dispute took place after the Government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher announced a colliery closure programme. It was marked by massed and sometimes violent confrontations between picketing miners and police cordons, and campaigners for an inquiry have long alleged that the police were used for political ends by the Government, accusing them of arresting strikers on trivial or trumped-up charges.
Mr Scott, who also carried out the 2015 review into police stop and search powers in Scotland, will be supported by an advisory panel comprising Dennis Canavan (former MP and MSP), Jim Murdoch (Professor of Public Law at the University of Glasgow) and Kate Thomson (former assistant chief constable).
Announcing the review to the Parliament, Mr Matheson said: "Whilst things have moved on considerably in the decades which have followed, the question of how best to learn from this period remains. How best can we aid understanding, reconciliation and inclusion?
"One approach is the 'let sleeping dogs lie' approach – in other words to do nothing. This is, some might say, the approach adopted by various Governments in the past.
"But if the hope had been that the sense of injustice and division would heal naturally, without intervention, then it seems to have been misplaced. Ignoring the issue doesn’t make it go away."
He added: "The Scottish criminal justice system has established procedures to deal with alleged miscarriages of justice and, as I have made clear to the campaigners, the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission is the appropriate route if anyone believes they have suffered in this particular way.
"However, wrongful conviction is just one form of injustice. The question is how might we better address wider but equally distressing forms. This has come home to me in my dealings with campaigners.
"I have been struck, as I said, by the continuing deep feeling and sense of injustice, a sense that our fellow citizens feel they have been misrepresented and ill-treated, that they wish their side of the story to be told and that any appropriate lessons are learnt, to avoid unnecessary division and distress in the future."
Mr Scott stated: "Although the miners’ strike took place over 30 years ago, I am aware that strong feelings about it persist in Scotland, especially in mining communities. Many documents of potential relevance are now publicly available. These will have to be considered but I am also keen to listen to individuals and communities directly affected.
"I am delighted that Dennis Canavan, Kate Thomson and Jim Murdoch have agreed to assist in this important review. Each brings considerable experience, knowledge and skills which will help to ensure that our review is thorough and robust."
Labour MSP Neil Findlay, who has campaigned at Holyrood for an inquiry, responded: "This is a huge breakthrough in the fight for justice and the truth about what actually happened in Scotland during that period, but also it must not shut off the possibility of a full public inquiry at a later date."