News about criminal justice in Scotland

This is where you can find news taken from the media and other on-line sources about crime and justice issues in Scotland and, where relevant, the rest of the UK and Europe, together with press releases, original sources and other useful links. We try to update daily. If you can't immediately find what you are looking for try the site search or go to 'Archives' on menu bar. Links to other sites are for provided for your information and do not imply an endorsement of their content. Also, although CjScotland attempts to be as comprehensive as possible in its coverage we do not represent that all the information you might need can be obtained from this site. This is a person, not a computer, compiled blog.

Please note: some media, press release and broadcast links are short-lived. You can use the headlines for archive searches but may have to pay to access the original piece.

A simplified version of this page for PDA, Mobile and Low Bandwidth access is available here.

Latest Justice News From the Scottish Government

Tackling domestic abuse
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland (HMICS) report.

Support for vulnerable witnesses
Justice chiefs to discuss work to support vulnerable witnesses.

Funding for youth basketball
Successful Glasgow initiative to be extended to five more cities.

CjScotland News Log

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Prisons Commission: follow up

"Focus on rethink over sentencing" Courier

Posted by MM on Wed 27th Aug 2008 at 3:19 pm
Criminal justice reform Criminal Justice Social Work Prisons and prisoners Sentencing Sentencing reform • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend

Mining company fined for employee deaths

"Scottish Coal fined £400k over deaths" Evening Times
"Scottish Coal fined £400,000 over double death" Herald
"Company fined over miner deaths" BBC
"Scottish Coal fined over fatal accident" STV

Posted by MM on Wed 27th Aug 2008 at 3:02 pm
Corporate issues Sentencing Fines Health and Safety • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend

HMICS thematic inspection on the policing of domestic abuse published

"Report calls for domestic abuse database" Herald
"Inspectorate calls for domestic abuse database" Press and Journal

Press release

"Tackling domestic abuse" Scot.Gov.

Posted by MM on Wed 27th Aug 2008 at 2:51 pm
Gender and crime Police Domestic abuse • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend

Scottish prison population now 8000 and rising

"Scottish prison population passes 8000" Herald
"Scotland’s jail population passes 8,000 for the first time" Press and Journal
"Prisons designed for 6,600 inmates now hold 8,013 – ‘and it won’t stop here’" Scotsman
"Jail population hits record high" BBC

Also

CjScotland 18.2.08: Prison population at record levels: MacAskill and Justice Committee visit Cornton Vale

Posted by MM on Wed 27th Aug 2008 at 9:08 am
Prisons and prisoners Sentencing Prison sentences • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend

UK Drug Policy Commission report on enforcement and drugs markets: Dundee experience

Update

"Sheriff questions crackdown" Courier

Following posted on 25.08.08

"Heroin crackdown sees jump in violent crime" Evening Telegraph

Following posted on 31.07.08

"Addicts turn to tainted heroin" Courier
"£50,000 worth of drugs taken off Dundee streets" Evening Telegraph
"Heroin users ‘getting desperate’" Press and Journal

"Drug traffickers thwart police and Customs as demand grows" Times
"Drugs swoops ‘have little impact’" BBC
"Drugs report ignores bigger picture" Scotsman

Press release

"Reducing ‘collateral damage’ likely to have more impact than big drug hauls, says report" UK Drug Policy Commission

Also

CjScotland 18.7.08: Drugs in Dundee: Evening Telegraph and Courier campaigns.

Posted by MM on Wed 27th Aug 2008 at 8:00 am
Drugs and alcohol Police • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend

Police budgets and pensions gap

Update

"Police boards urge government to take responsibility for pensions" Herald

Following posted 26.08.08

"Swinney accused of inaction on police pensions" Herald

Following posted 15.08.08

"Police seek talks over rises in pension payments" Herald

Following posted 11.08.08

"Police pension shortfall could thwart target to recruit 1000 new officers" The Sunday Herald

Following posted 27.06.08

"Spiralling pension costs ‘will cut police on streets’" Herald
"Front-line police at risk due to spiralling pension costs" Courier
"Cost of police pensions may mean cull on the front line" Times
"Price of police pensions" Herald

Following posted on 28.01.08

"Extra cash for front-line policing diverted to cover pensions shortfall" Scotsman

Following posted on 21.01.08

"Ministers criticised over ‘misleading’ statements on police funding" Press and Journal

"Police union fears 30-plus scheme being phased out" Herald
"Police pensions in funding crisis" BBC

"Thin blue line needs beefed up" Evening News

Following posted on 14.01.08

"Police facing cuts to plug ‘mysterious’ funding gap" Press and Journal

"Grampian set for ‘record level’ of police officers" Press and Journal

Lothian and Borders Police recruitment page

Posted by KM on Wed 27th Aug 2008 at 7:24 am
Police • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend

Glasgow's zero tolerance approach to prostitution

Update

"Prostitution law proposals ‘a step back’" Evening News

Following posted on 25.08.08

“‘Zero tolerance’ in Glasgow’s bid to stamp out prostitution" Scotsman
"City looks to Sweden in blitz on sex trade" Evening Times
"Glasgow turns to Sweden in attempt to tackle prostitution within city" Herald

Posted by MM on Wed 27th Aug 2008 at 7:09 am
Gender and crime Prostitution • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend

Group highlights male victims of domestic abuse and calls for resources

Update

"Are men suffering in silence?" Scotsman

Following posted on 25.08.08

"Scots men forced to suffer in silence from domestic abuse" Scotsman

See also

http://mensaid.org.uk

Posted by MM on Wed 27th Aug 2008 at 7:01 am
Gender and crime Domestic abuse • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Equity fines for corporate offenders in proposed Criminal Sentencing (Equity Fines) Bill

"Call to base company fines for fatalities on share price" Herald

Posted by MM on Tue 26th Aug 2008 at 7:22 am
Corporate issues Current Legislation Sentencing Criminal Sentencing (Equity Fines) Bill Fines Sentencing reform Health and Safety • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend

SNP attacked over police recruitment figures in first year

Update

"Police numbers pledge will be met say senior officers" Holyrood.com

Following posted on 25.08.08

"SNP accused over police recruitment claims" Daily Record
"Salmond’s phantom cops" Scotsman
"SNP breaks promise on more police" Scotsman
"Pledge of more Scottish police broken" Times

Posted by MM on Tue 26th Aug 2008 at 6:38 am
Police • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend

Monday, August 25, 2008

Evaluation of Glasgow Enhanced Policing Plan suggests positive results: gangs, territories

"Crime falls as police crackdown on gangs pays off" Herald
"Cracking down" Herald
"In ‘killing fields’, gangs are born and not made" Herald

Posted by MM on Mon 25th Aug 2008 at 7:55 am
Children and justice Police Young People • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend

Consultation on Sentencing Guidelines and a Scottish Sentencing Council to be launched this week

“[. . .] We believe that there is a case for a system of sentencing guidelines to help deliver more consistent and transparent sentencing - and a Scottish Sentencing Council to oversee that system.

This consultation is your opportunity to consider our proposals and help shape a sentencing framework appropriate to 21st century Scotland.

Starting: Thursday, August 28, 2008
Deadline: Wednesday, November 19, 2008”

From briefing e-mail.

See also

Scot.Gov. Consultations

Posted by MM on Mon 25th Aug 2008 at 7:24 am
Sentencing Sentencing reform • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend

Concerns raised over enhanced fiscal powers of diversion following summary justice reforms

Update

"Lawyers paid PR firm to attack reforms which cut legal aid income" Sunday Herald

Following posted on 20.08.08

"Fiscal says reforms will work better" Courier
"MacAskill defends secrecy of fine guidelines" Herald
"Fixed penalty guidelines “should stay private"" Law Society Journal Online

Following posted on 18.08.08

"MacAskill defends secret guidelines for criminal offences" Times
"Violent criminals avoid court after reforms" Times
"600 offenders avoid court over attacks" Evening News
"Fixed penalty fines defended by SNP’s MacAskill" Herald
"Minister defends ‘secret fines’" BBC

Following posted on 06.08.08

"Concern over headbutt attack fine" BBC

Following posted on 24.07.08

"8000 accept fiscal fines in Tayside" Courier

Following posted on 22.07.08

"Sheriff questions fiscal service" Courier
"Fiscal service ‘taking action only when necessary’" Courier

Following posted on 21.07.08

"Fall in criminal cases in city courts ‘quite drastic’" Courier
"Apology to lawyer victim as thugs walk free" Times
"Justice diverted" Law Society Journal Online

"Figures reveal court reforms for speedier justice are falling short" Scotsman

Following posted on 23.06.08

"Anger as violent criminals get fiscal fine deals" Herald
"Summary justice" Herald
"Are we diverting justice?" Herald
"Violent criminals avoiding justice system" STV
"Further claims over summary justice reforms" Law Society Journal Online

Following posted on 10.06.08

"Guilty until proven innocent: that’s justice on the cheap" Herald. Article by Martin Morrow, Solicitor-Advocate.

Following posted on 09.06.08

"Scots justice ‘a victim to cost-cutting’" Times
"Diverting cases away from court may be cheap and convenient but it does not serve justice" Scotsman

Following posted on 12.05.08

"Prosecutor defends handling of cases" Courier

Press release

"Fiscal fines" Scot.Gov.

Posted by MM on Mon 25th Aug 2008 at 7:08 am
Courts Procurators Fiscal Summary Justice • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend

Evaluation of vulnerable witness reforms published: MacAskill to meet practitioners

Update

"Meeting to discuss vulnerable witness measures" Law Society Journal Online

Following posted on 06.08.08

"Courts accused of failing vulnerable child witnesses" Herald
"Court system accused of failing children" Press and Journal

Following posted on 01.08.08

‘Turning Up the Volume’, an evaluation of the implementation of the first two phases of the Vulnerable Witnesses legislation has been published.

Following posted on 02.06.08

"Support for vulnerable witnesses" The Scotsman
"Call to give more support to vulnerable witnesses" Evening News

Press Release

"Support for vulnerable witnesses" Scot.Gov. (August 22)
"Support for vulnerable witnesses" Scottish Government
"Judicial System Failing Children" Children 1st

Posted by KM on Mon 25th Aug 2008 at 6:56 am
Children and justice Victims and witnesses Vulnerable witnesses • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend

Drugs in prison: MacAskill declares 'zero tolerance'

” ‘Zero tolerance’ pledge on prison drugs" Press and Journal
"Five drug busts every day in prisons – and it’s tip of the iceberg" Scotsman
“‘Zero tolerance’ on prison drugs" BBC

Posted by MM on Mon 25th Aug 2008 at 6:45 am
Drugs and alcohol Prisons and prisoners • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend

Fiscal fines and drugs possession

"Sheriff queries fines policy in minimal drug case" Law Society Journal Online

Posted by MM on Mon 25th Aug 2008 at 6:35 am
Courts Drugs and alcohol Procurators Fiscal Summary Justice • Permalink • Tell-a-Friend

Page 1 of 413 pages 1 2 3 > Last »