FORMER miners in the Wee County are being encouraged to give their views on pardons for those convicted in the wake of the 1984-85 strike.

As reported last November, those who lost their good names in the fight to save their livelihoods could be offered pardons, following an independent review into the impact of policing during the 1984-85 Miners' Strike.

In the wake of the review, justice secretary Humza Yousaf has last week launched a consultation, seeking views on the qualifying criteria for a pardon.

The criteria will play an important role for those hoping that their conviction will one day be quashed.

Mr Yousaf said: "It is important that we have a rationale for the qualifying criteria which is well-thought through and informed by a range of views.

"That is why I encourage anyone with an interest in these important events to take this opportunity to have a say.

"The responses to the consultation will help shape the legislation that will implement the pardon."

Currently, proposals are for a collective pardon, with no need for individuals to apply, granted automatically if the qualifying criteria is met.

The original review said miners should be pardoned if they had no subsequent convictions, were convicted for a breach of the peace, for breach of bail conditions, and if the case was disposed of by way of a fine.

This could be crucial for former Clacks miners, such as Sauchie man Jim Tierney, who previously opened up to the Advertiser on the issue.

Jim, formerly of Castlehill Colliery, spent around 25 days in HMP Barlinnie and still vividly remembers the time he and his fellow miners were hauled to the dock at Alloa Sheriff Court.

He disputes the outcome of the four-day trial and the evidence given relating to an incident in Fishcross.

Jim, who featured in the documentary Still the Enemy Within, never saw the inside of the courtroom before or since and was "lucky" to have retrained as a teacher.

Others, however, were not so fortunate and Jim previously spoke of his heartache after a friend of his took his life in the wake of a conviction.

Clacks MSP Keith Brown said: "The strike may have taken place 35 over years ago, but there is still much anger in many of our local communities about how the miners were treated – and rightly so.

"For decades, hundreds of men and their families have had to deal with the consequences of the strike and the convictions they received for their part in it.

"Former miners have waited a very long time for justice.

"It is, sadly, too late for some but this is an opportunity to put right some historic wrongs."

People can visit bit.ly/3bK9uf7to access the consultation online.