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“Scots police make first arrests for mephedrone possession since drug ban was introduced” Daily Record
“Police make drugs arrests hours after mephedrone banned” Herald
“Two arrested and charged over Edinburgh drug offences” STV
“Police make Scotland’s first mephedrone arrests” BBC
Following posted on 30.3.10
“Mephedrone to be banned and made class B drug after link to 25 deaths” Guardian
“Rushing mephedrone ban is wrong” Guardian
“Warning as bubbles is set to be banned” Courier
“Mephedrone to be banned” Herald
“Drug mephedrone to be banned” STV
“Mephedrone to be made Class B drug ‘within weeks’ ”
Following posted on 18.3.10
“Mephedrone: the class D solution” Guardian
“Ban legal high, Scots pubs and clubs urged” Press and Journal
“No quick ban for killer drug ‘meow meow’” Scotsman
“‘Legal high’ sparks political row” STV
Following posted on 18.2.10
“Drug law shake-up aims to curb ‘legal’ highs” Times
“Comment: A social experiment well worth trying” Times
“Board call to ban ‘bubbles’” Evening Telegraph
Following posted on 12.2.10
“Scottish government moves to ban ‘bubbles’ legal high BBC
“MSP urges action on bubbles” Evening Telegraph
“Move to ban ‘bubbles’ drug” Courier
Other recent headlines
“Fears grow over safety of ‘legal high’ mephedrone” Guardian
“Bubbles – dangers of cheap high” Courier
“Minister demands ban on legal highs” Courier
Press release
“UNIGHT Aberdeen ban ‘legal high’” Grampian Police
Posted by MM on Tue 20th Apr 2010 at 7:49 amUpdate
“MSPs bid to jail knife carriers” Herald
“Automatic jail terms for knife carriers passes major hurdle” Scotsman
“On a knife edge” Scottish Sun
“MSPs back knife sentencing change” BBC
“MSPs back changes to sentencing for knife carriers” Press and Journal
Following posted on 12.4.10
“Tragic sister of knife victim takes anti–blade campaign to Holyrood” Daily Record
Following posted on 1.4.10
“Prisons acting as ‘colleges of crime’ for Scottish knife thugs” Express
“Figures reveal massive reoffending rate among knife criminals” STV
Following posted on 24.3.10
“Dad backs change to knife law will change” Evening Times
“Anti–knife campaigner in mandatory jail term plea” Evening Times
“Make jails tougher for blade offenders, MSPs told” Herald
Following posted on 16.3.10
“Knife crime plans in Scotland ‘may cost £80m’’” BBC
“£80m cost of jail for crime with a knife” Scotsman
“Knife crime sentence plans ‘could cost over £80m’” STV
“£80m bill to cage all knife yobs” Scottish Sun
“Knife crime: ‘A clear deterrent would stop people carrying knives’” Evening News
Following posted on 1.3.10
“Knife prison plan not ‘effective’” BBC
Following posted on 18.2.10
“Labour and Tories in knife crime row” Evening Times
“Knife carriers should get two years in jail, say Tories” Herald
“Tories call for two year jail terms for knife carriers” Scotsman
Following posted on 16.2.10
“Take me now, officer: Alasdair Ferguson confesses that he is a knife carrier” Scottish Review
Following posted on 11.2.10
“Labour U–turn on knife crime, claims MSP” Courier
“Unity urged over bid to jail carriers of knives” Press and Journal
“Jail all knife offenders or have blood on your hands, ministers told” Scotsman
“Sheriff vows to jail knife carriers … then backtracks an hour later” Daily Record
Following posted on 10.2.10
“Labour urges knife prison terms” BBC
“Labour launches knife campaign” Herald
“Knife carriers to be jailed under Labour plans” STV
Following posted on 9.2.10
“30,000 Scots sign petition backing automatic jail sentences for knife thugs” Daily Record
Following posted on 4.1.10
“Labour want knife crime treated as seriously as gun offences” Daily Record
“Labour call for hard line approach to knife crime” STV
“Labour slams SNP for ‘failure’ over knife crime” Scotsman
Following posted on 15.12.09
“Parents of knife crime victims tell summit of ‘suffering’ after assaults” Herald
“Labour renews demand to get tougher on knife crime” Scotsman
“Anti–knife crime event to be held in Glasgow” STV
Following posted on 19.10.09
“Police deal blow to Labour’s automatic jail policy for knife carrying” Scotsman
Following posted on 5.10.09
“Labour calls for tougher jail terms for knife crime” Herald
“Labour slam SNP’s soft stance on knife crime” Daily Record
Following posted 31.08.09
“Knife crime statistics prompt Labour demand for jail terms” Herald
“New plea to jail anyone caught carrying a knife” Press and Journal
Following posted 12.08.09
“Grieving dad joins bid to jail all knife thugs” Evening Times
“Labour petition on knives goes to Holyrood” Herald
“Labour leader accuses SNP of being soft on knife crime” Scotsman
“Cutting knife crime is top priority for public” Evening Times
Following posted 17.07.09
“East End backs call to jail all knife carriers” Evening Times
Following posted 19.06.09
“Only one in four armed criminals face prison” Evening News
Following posted 29.05.09
“Violence czar opposes mandatory sentences for knives” Holyrood.com
Following posted 28.05.09
“Police chief dismisses call to jail anyone carrying a knife” The Scotsman
Following posted 27.05.09
“Tories demand tough action to cut crime ” Evening Times
Following posted 14.05.09
“Parties want mandatory jail terms for knife thugs” Herald
“Tory demands tough new jail sentences” Press and Journal
“Tories call for 2 year minimum sentence to tackle knife crime” Scotsman
“Mandatory jail terms for knife crime backed” Herald
Press releases
“Labour demands mandatory knife sentences” Scottish Labour Party
See also
Justice Committee Official Report 13.4.10: Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
Justice Committee 23.3.10, Official Report: Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Bill
Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many homicides there were in 2007-08, broken down by (a) police force area and (b) main method of killing (and related questions)
Update
“Children’s rights boost is dropped” Herald
“Sentencing and children provision not to be part of bill” Law Society Journal Online
“Impact of parent’s jail term on children ‘should be factor’” Herald
Following posted on 19.8.09
“You’re kidding” Scottish Sun
“Criminals could be spared jail if they are a parent” STV
“Children could keep dad out of jail” Press and Journal
“Call for sentencers to consider impact on offenders’ children” Law Society Journal Online
Following posted on 18.8.09
“Parents could be spared jail to protect children” Herald
“Children and the law” Herald
“‘Children on the edge are always in my thoughts’” Herald
“Criminals ‘could be spared jail if they are a parent’” Scotsman
See also
Also
Posted by MM on Wed 3rd Mar 2010 at 7:53 amUpdate
“Senior police officer calls for community service to replace short jail sentences” Times
“Labour attacks top policeman over jail concerns” Herald
“Calls to toughen up community sentencing” Scotsman
“The long arm of the law is left flailing” Times
Following posted on 19.2.10
“Police Chief: send fewer criminals to prison” Herald
“Chief calls for radical overhaul of system community sentences” Herald
Update
On Thursday 11th February there was a debate on the Equal Opportunities Committee 3rd Report 2009: Female offenders in the criminal justice system. Please see below for the official report of proceedings.
“Ex–prostitutes and sex workers should not have to reveal previous convictions, says Holyrood” Daily Record
“Call to relax job restrictions for former prostitutes” Herald
Following posted on 15.01.10
“Cash to cut female prison numbers” BBC
“Extra cash to help female offenders” Herald
“SNP wages gender war to cut number of women in jail” Herald
“Funding aims to help stop women reoffending” Law Society Journal Online
Following posted on 11.11.09
“Scots jails full of women ‘who shouldn’t be there’” Express
“Sentencing of women with mental health problems criticised” STV
Following posted on 10.11.09
“Children pay for mothers’ prison terms” Herald
“Treatment of women prisoners needs major overhaul, MSPs told” Herald
“MSPs concerned over women in jail” BBC
“Sentencing of women with mental health problems criticised” STV
Following posted on 6.05.09
“Policy of having just one women’s prison is condemned” Scotsman
“Female prison policy criticised” BBC
Following posted on 12.02.09
“Female offender inquiry to begin” BBC
“Too many women being sent to jail – prison chief” Press and Journal
Following posted on 18.12.08
“Probe into female prison inmates with mental health issues” Press and Journal
“Equal Opportunities Committee launches prison inquiry” Law Society Journal Online
Press release
“Female re–offending” Scot.Gov. (January 2009) . The press release contains link to the Scottish Government’s response document.
“Treatment of female offenders should be re–examined says committee” Scottish Parliament (November 2009)
“Inquiry into female offenders launched by Equal Opportunities Committee” Scottish Parliament (December 2008)
See also
Scottish Parliament Official Report 11.2.09. Female Offenders in the Criminal Justice System
Equal Opportunities Committee Official Report 9.2.10
Equal Opportunities Committee Report (November 2009). Female offenders in the criminal justice system.
Equal Opportunities Committee: Inquiry into female offenders in the criminal justice system homepage. Includes notes of meetings and evidence presented.
Call for written evidence by the Equal Opportunities Committee
The Scottish Consortium on Crime and Criminal Justice (SCCCJ) has published its fourth review on crime and justice in Scotland. The report aims to provide an independent assessment of the data on crime in Scotland and the performance of the relevant criminal justice agencies in response. Speaking today Professor Alec Spencer, the Convenor of the Consortium said: ‘There is ample evidence to show that crime is reducing and the public are feeling safer, despite the rhetoric of some politicians and some elements of the media to persuade us otherwise. However, it is not all good news. The prison population is increasing, and at an alarming and unjustifiable rate. Scotland’s rate is the fourth highest in Western Europe, more than double the rates of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden and significantly greater than the rates of Italy, France, Germany and Northern Ireland and Eire.’
“Public feeling safer as crime figures plunge to 30–year–low” Daily Record
Press release
“Scotland leads the way – but it is not all good news” SCCCJ (.pdf)
See also
SCCCJ (February 2010) Crime and Justice in Scotland 2009: A Fourth Review of Progress
http://www.scccj.org.uk
Update
“Scottish justice system fails crime victims, say senior police” Telegraph
Following posted on 26.1.10
“Crime victims ‘‘denied rights’” Herald
“Police accuse SNP ministers of undermining justice system” Times
See also
Scottish Parliament Justice Committee Official Report 26.1.10: summary justice reforms
Posted by MM on Wed 27th Jan 2010 at 5:50 pmThis important report is relevant to forthcoming debates in the Scottish Parliament on the Criminal Justice Bill and to penal policy generally. See also Hillary Ross’s article Justice reinvestment: what it is and why it may be an idea to consider in Scotland on this site.
“Britain must call a truce on its criminal justice arms race” Guardian
“MPs say £4.2bn plan to boost jail places is costly mistake” Guardian
“Prison population ‘should be cut’ by third, say MPs” BBC
See also
Justice Committee Westminster (January 2010) Cutting crime: the case for justice reinvestment
In a new article for this website Maggie Mellon responds to the proposed changes to the Children’s Hearings by suggesting that although the Scottish Government appears to be listening to criticism of the draft Children’s Hearings Bill, there is a risk that reforms will be fudged and an opportunity to right wrongs and for ‘joined up thinking’ on children and young people in trouble, missed.
Read more by going to the CjScotland articles page. or directly as below:
Maggie Mellon (December 2009) On getting a good hearing: reform and justice for children (html) | .pdf version
The link below takes you to the Annexe relating to the Justice Portfolio. The Finance Comittee concludes that:
“[…] there is little evidence of substantial financial commitment by the Scottish Government to increased resources for community sentences other than on the basis of emerging underspend on other programmes. The Committee is not confident that this is an adequate platform from which to take forward a policy which envisages a greater reliance on community disposals.”
Finance Committee: Report on scrutiny of the Draft Budget 2010–11. Justice Portfolio
Posted by MM on Fri 4th Dec 2009 at 10:49 am