Mayday Fundraiser

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Let’s applaud the saving graces of a band of quiet heroes

For the wrongly jailed, there is no Shawshank Redemption ending

Our hearts go out to the family of Sally Clark
The news of the tragic death of Sally Clark has saddened and angered all of us at the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation (M.O.J.O.). Since the release of our founder Paddy Hill, and the rest of the Birmingham Six in 1991, we have been pleading with the authorities to set up a specialised aftercare programme to help counsel innocent men and women after they are released at the Appeal Court. Since then there has been over 200 high profile victims of a miscarriage of justice and none of them have been offered specialised counselling. It is not as if the authorities are unaware of the need for such duty of care. As in the same year the Birmingham Six where released after 16 years, two men who had spent five years of wrongful imprisonment, along with their families and some campaigners where taken to R.A.F. Lyneham to receive four months of deep counselling by Professor Gordon Turnbull and his team. The only difference was that these men where held captive in a foreign land, their names, John MacCarthy and Terry Waites. It would seem, rather than face up to their responsibilities and help innocent victims of the state, the government continue to punish them. Only this week, the judgement from the House of Lords, allowing the Home Office to claim back living expenses (bed and board) from their compensation, was just another vindictive act. One of the Law Lords remarked, not to charge them saved living expenses would be to 'over compensate'; this man should hang his head in shame, as no amount of money can ever compensate for being wrongfully convicted. You lose everything of meaning and value, all of them will suffer from severe post traumatic stress disorders brought on by their wrongful conviction, and compounded by the sudden release from the appeal court. At the present moment M.O.J.O. are trying to raise funds to build such a retreat, using the specialised, and shared experience, counselling, to help innocent men and women come to terms with the world they find themselves in. Which is a world where their lives have been ripped apart, a world where they don’t fit in and feel nothing. We write this with a heavy heart, at the unnecessary tragic death of Sally Clark, and pray that at some point those in authority will face up to their responsibilities. By setting up a specialised counselling programme to help innocent men and women, who through no faults of their own have had their lives ripped apart, and at least try and help them put their lives back together. This was a tragedy waiting to happen that, possibly, could have been prevented and our hearts go out to the family of Sally, and hopefully now she can rest in peace.

Freedom Of Speech event in Easterhouse. This is part of the Grand Idea. Click here to find out more

Please take time to read the letters of support for The Grand Idea from Michael Mansfield QC, Gareth Peirce, Baroness Helena Kennedy and Adrian Grounds DM FRCPsych

What happens to the innocent DVD. Click here to see the trailer

Alabama 3 after show party in Glasgow on 24th September 2006. Click here to find out how to get tickets for the legendary MOJO after show party.

What happens to the innocent. Click here to find out when and where the DVD will be shown.

A Grand Idea. Read more..

Anger at Charles Clarkes bid for compensation shake up

Cleared at the Appeal Court - Could you please take time to read the Judgement in Billy Allison and Steven Johnstons case

"They couldn't spell justice never mind dispense it"
This was the famous quote made, exactly fifteen years to the day, outside the Court of Appeal in London by Paddy Hill one the Birmingham Six on their release.
The same quote was screamed out today at the Appeal Court in Edinburgh, after the appeal court refused to allow new evidence to be heard in the appeal of William Gage, fighting to clear his name for the murder of Justin McIlroy in March 2002, and dismissed his appeal.
This has to be the most perverse judgement ever to come out of the Court of Judiciary, they allowed him to get new counsel, then allowed to submit new evidence, then they decide at the last minute that it would take 'quite exceptional reasons would be needed at this stage" to allow new evidence and decided to dismiss it out of hand.
So here is the highest court in the land refusing to hear new evidence in murder appeal, for a case of a man convicted of murder on no evidence, I repeat no evidence. This has has brought the Scottish judicial system into disrepute once again.
It is 15 years to the day that the Birmingham Six was released from the appeal court when Paddy Hill heard the news of the decision on Gage he stated,
" I am shocked that the court was not even prepared to listen to the evidence and it now seems that a person can be convicted in the Scottish court on no evidence at all, and the only evidence that has convicted William Gage was the wife of the deceased, Tracey McIlroy, who stated 24 months after the event in court, that she recognised the man in the dock, because she stated that she would never forget his eyes, and yet in the weeks and months immediately after the fatal shooting of her husband she never once stated in the 7 interviews with the Police that she could recognise the man by his eyes, in fact the opposite she stated that she wouldn't recognise the gunman at all.
This following the Shirley McKie case will drag the Scottish judicial system even further into disrepute this is a case that should concern every person in Scotland, because it now seems that a person can be convicted of a crime with no evidence at all, two years ago it was William Gage, who will it be next year."
For more info call John McManus 0141 552 7253 or 07977 04 77 94

Steven Johnston and Billy Allison were released from the appeal court 10 days before Christmas with no money or support from the authorities. Two months previously MOJO raised £1000 from bucket collections outside the Bamas Scottish gigs well the boys would like to thank you all, below is a short note.
Thanks to all of Alabama 3 for the funds raised for us both. It has come in very useful as you can imagine until we get back on our feet and hope to meet you all soon, All the best for the future, yours truly Billy and Steven

Thanks to everyone who has donated items to M.O.J.O Scotland. Your help has been much appreciated

New range of Freedom of Speech T-Shirts available

Paddy Hill and Robert Brown on stage before the Alabama 3 gig in Glasgow 21/5/05

Thanks also to the Alabama 3 who have supported M.O.J.O in our previous campaigns. Cheers guys

Paul Blackburn walks free from the appeal court after spending 25 years behind bars for a crime he didn't commit.

M.O.J.O would like to thank everyone for their donations and support in both Glasgow and Shepherds Bush gigs.
We would also like to thank The Alabama 3 for their continued support in the fight to help innocent people incarcerated in British prisons.

Alabama 3 Gigs
M.O.J.O are delighted to announce that £305 was taken in a donations bucket outside The Carling Academy in Glasgow. £505 was also taken in a bucket collection at Shepherds Bush in London.
We also made £500 in T-Shirt donations in Glasgow and £285 in donations at The Shepherds Bush gig.
MOJO would again like to thank everyone who contributed on both nights. Thank You

Please take some time to read this letter from William Gage

New case file added - Stuart Gair

Forever Lost Forever Gone - Paddy Joe Hill. See How to Help page