Scottish Government outlines criminal justice priorities

As part of its legislative agenda for 2012-13, the Scottish Government has announced its intention to introduce a number of bills that will impact on the criminal justice system in Scotland.

The Criminal Justice Bill will reform and modernise the system for investigation and prosecution of crime in Scotland. It follows from the thorough, expert reviews of Lord Carloway, in relation to criminal procedure generally, and Sheriff Principal Bowen in relation to sheriff and jury procedure.

According to the Scottish Government, it will ensure that Scotland is at the forefront of human rights practice in relation to suspects and accused persons, while at the same time promoting the rights of victims by removing outdated rules on sufficiency of evidence.

The main provisions will include: simplified systems for arrest and questioning of suspects; protections for child and vulnerable suspects; the abolition of the ancient requirement for corroboration of evidence in criminal cases; more streamlined appeal procedures; and improvements to the law on references to the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission. The Bill will also include a number of other justice reforms which will help improve the criminal justice system, with some realising significant savings.

The Scottish Government will further enhance the efficiency of the justice system through the delivery of the Making Justice Work programme. The Scottish Government will work with partners across the system, including the Scottish Court Service and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, to progress changes to the summary justice system, implement improvements in the ways in which witnesses are called to attend court and roll out greater use of video conferencing.

As part of that programme a draft Courts Reform Bill, which will take forward Lord Gill's Civil Courts Review, will go out to consultation by the end of 2012.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v1.0.