False Allegations Resource Centre

INTRODUCTION

False allegations are one of the most contested subjects in criminal justice. The debate around them is frequently loud, frequently partisan, and frequently disconnected from the available evidence.

This resource does not take sides. It does not claim that false allegations are common, and it does not claim that they are negligible. It examines what the published research shows, what official data exists — and crucially, what data does not exist, and what the law in Scotland says about allegations that are later established to be untrue.

Every section draws on published research, primary legal sources, or material obtained through Freedom of Information requests. Where the evidence is unclear or contested, that uncertainty is explained rather than papered over. Where official data is absent, that absence is treated as significant in its own right.

The resource is aimed at anyone who wants to understand this subject more carefully, whether they are directly affected, professionally involved, or simply trying to think clearly about a topic that is rarely discussed with much precision