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Update
“Victims of the justice gap” Version of Drummond Hunter Memorial lecture. Scotsman
Following posted on 7.1.04 at 9.33am.
“Scotland should learn from England?s ?costly mistakes in criminal justice? says international criminal justice expert”
Speaking to the Howard League for Penal Reform in Scotland in Edinburgh on yesterday, Baroness Vivien Stern, recently appointed Convenor of the Scottish Consortium on Crime and Criminal Justice, suggested that Scotland has the chance to avoid the mistakes in criminal justice policy which have been made in England since the mid 1990s.
Delivering the Drummond Hunter Memorial lecture she identified these as follows:
- to imagine that the criminal justice system was a service like health and education, and to feel that the more of it there was the more people would be satisfied;
- to imagine that criminal justice can deliver a lot of crime reduction, to believe that sending people to prison and putting them through other non-prison punishments will reduce their propensity to commit crime and therefore crime will fall;
- to imagine that this criminal justice system can be effectively controlled from the centre, and made to deliver by having targets imposed upon it.
She concluded, referring to the Scarman Report on the riots in Brixton in 1981:
?As consideration is given to new ways of dealing with crime in Scotland there is an opportunity to look again at what benefits come from the large investment in criminal justice and whether there may be another and better way. We must never forget that there can be no criminal justice without social justice.?
See also
Howard League Scotland Full text of lecture.
Scottish Consortium on Crime and Criminal Justice
Justice Department
“Ladette girls ‘outdrink the boys’: Teenage girls in Scotland have been outdoing boys when it comes to drugs, drinking, smoking and going out, a study of 15-year-olds has revealed. Researchers also discovered an increase in hooliganism among young women. . .” BBC
“Concern that teenage girls are more likely to smoke and drink: Researchers say teenage girls are more likely to smoke and drink, while boys stay at home reading or playing computer games, turning the stereotypical image of Scotland upside down . . .” Scottish TV
“Teenagers bridging the gender gap: The gender gap between teenagers is closing, with more of them opting for pastimes traditionally associated with the opposite sex. . .” Scotsman
“Girls more likely to drink and smoke: Times
“Today’s girls: smoking and drinking on street corners: A new generation of teenage girls spend their time hanging around the streets, smoking and drinking according to researchers from Glasgow. . .” Evening Times
Press Release
“Hobbies of today’s teenagers may explain increase in bad habits: Medical Research Council (MRC) scientists from the Social and Public Health Sciences Unit at the University of Glasgow reveal in the latest edition of the Journal of Youth Studies that what today’s teenagers do in their spare time may partly explain why there is a greater increase in smoking, drinking and drug taking amongst girls than among boys. . .” Glasgow University
See also
Social and Public Health Sciences Unit at the University of Glasgow
Posted by MM on Tue 27th Jan 2004 at 2:27 pmPress Release
“Crown Office modernisation: Improvements to the prosecution service have allowed more serious crimes to be dealt with and allowed the introduction of a much more efficient service available for victims, Finance and Public Services Minister Andy Kerr said today. . .“Scot. Exec. 26.1.04
Posted by MM on Tue 27th Jan 2004 at 2:25 pm“City decides on glass bottle ban: Glasgow may ban the sale of glass bottles from late-night takeaways in a bid to cut down on street violence. City councillors will consider outlawing all goods sold in glass containers from chip shops and outlets in a meeting on Tuesday. . .” BBC
“Ban on glass bottles” Scottish TV
“Council move to ban bottled drinks from takeaways” Scotsman
“Councillors backing ban on glass bottles” Evening Times
Press release
“Glass ban agreed for licensed late night takeaway venues: Glasgow City Council?s Licensing Committee agreed today, (27 January 2004), to ban the sale of goods in glass from late hours catering venues ? the first ban of its kind in Scotland. . .” Glasgow City Council
Posted by MM on Tue 27th Jan 2004 at 2:19 pm“Minister pledges crackdown on benefit fraud: Chris Pond, the minister in charge of benefits, has promised a major crackdown on those who make fraudulent claims. Speaking during a visit to Edinburgh yesterday, Mr Pond pledged tougher measures to claw back the ?72 million lost in Scotland every year to fraudsters and also insisted he would initiate a drive to get people off incapacity benefit and into work. . .” Scotsman
Posted by MM on Tue 27th Jan 2004 at 2:12 pm“Sexism still a problem in police?chief constable: Sexism among policemen is still a barrier to women attaining promotion in forces throughout Britain, according to Tayside?s Chief Constable John Vine. Women make up 20% of the 10,000 constables in Scotland?s eight forces but only 9% of those achieved higher ranks, while in the UK there are only two female chief constables. . .” Courier
“Sexism in police stops women fitting the Bill: Talented female police officers are prevented from reaching the top of their profession by sexism, and Scottish forces should do more to combat discrimination, according to a report by a chief constable. . .” Scotland on Sunday
Press release
“ACPOS President asks: why so few women officers?” Tayside Police
Posted by MM on Mon 26th Jan 2004 at 2:29 pm“Hundreds thumb noses at spy cameras: Hundreds of law-breaking motorists have completely ignored Aberdeen City Council?s controversial new spy- camera system aimed at cracking down on bus-lane dodgers, it was revealed yesterday. In three days a total of 436 motorists were captured flouting the bus-only regulations, on just one of the eight cameras operating in the city. . .” Scotsman
Posted by MM on Mon 26th Jan 2004 at 2:27 pm“Funding for rape crisis centres: Communities Minister Margaret Curran has pledged cash for services helping victims of rape and other sex attacks. The Scottish Executive said the services would receive ?1.76m and it was the first time they have benefited from government funding . . .” BBC
“New resources to help rape victims announced: New resources to help rape and sexual abuse victims are to be announced by the Executive today [. . .] Demand for the service is high with the number of reported rapes rising by 21% in 2002. There are eight centres throughout Scotland. . .” Scottish TV
“Executive improves support for rape victims” Grampian TV
Press Release
“Improved services for rape and abuse victims: New and improved services for rape and sexual abuse victims will be running across Scotland by the end of the year, it was announced today. Communities Minister Margaret Curran pledged radical changes to the way Rape Crisis Centres are funded and the possibility of a new national helpline service, similar to the successful Domestic Abuse Helpline. . .” Scot. Exec.
See also
Posted by MM on Fri 23rd Jan 2004 at 10:03 pm“Law chief plans to speed up prosecutions” Times. 24.1.04
“Plans to speed up prosecutions: Proposals aimed at making the criminal justice system more efficient have been unveiled by Scotland’s top law officer. Lord Advocate Colin Boyd QC has promised speedier prosecutions, quicker action on cases and more openness when dealing with victims and witnesses. . .” BBC
“Plans to speed up justice system unveiled: Court cases for serious crimes will go ahead more quickly under ambitious new targets set by Scotland’s most senior law officer. Unveiling a new three year strategy, Lord Advocate Colin Boyd said he wants to see major offences like drug trafficking given priority in a new, more efficient court system. . .” Scottish TV
“Law chief sets court deadlines: Scotland’s top law officer today promised to make the nation’s streets safer as he unveiled new measures aimed at speeding up the justice system . . .” Evening Times
Press Release
“Strategic Plan for prosecution service: Priorities for the next three years in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) were announced today by Lord Advocate Colin Boyd QC. The priorities and initiatives set out in the COPFS Strategic Plan 2004-2006, some of which are already underway, will help the department meet its aim of providing an independent, modern prosecution service fit for the 21st century. . .” Scot. Exec.
See also
Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service Strategic Plan 2004 - 2006. Full version.
Posted by MM on Fri 23rd Jan 2004 at 9:53 pm“Speed shake-up plan to slash driving bans:The Government is considering changing the speeding laws to prevent thousands of drivers being banned from the road for four minor offences. They are looking at a new “sophisticated” system where the number of points motorists receive for exceeding the limit depends on how dangerous their conduct is. . .” Evening News
“Speeding points plan ‘madness’: Controversial plans to change the points system for speeding drivers were today branded “complete madness”. . .” Evening Times
Posted by MM on Fri 23rd Jan 2004 at 9:52 pm