§ Lord Lyellasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have further proposals for improving the Scottish criminal justice system.
§ The Minister of State, Scottish Office (Lord Fraser of Carmyllie)My right honourable Friend the Secretary of State is today publishing a consultation paper entitledSentencing and Appeals, which seeks views on a number of proposals for improving the ability of our system of justice to deal with crime effectively and fairly. The paper seeks views on possible changes to the system of fiscal fines and the sentencing powers of the sheriff courts, and invites views on the case for introduction of sentencing guidelines. It proposes revised procedures for dealing with criminal appeals and invites views on whether there is a need for change to the criteria by which criminal appeals are determined. The paper also seeks views on whether the current arrangements for dealing with alleged miscarriages of justice in Scotland are satisfactory and sets out a number of possible options for change.
The consultation paper is the fourth in a series seeking views on proposals for improving the delivery of justice in Scotland. We are inviting comments by 16 April. Copies of the consultation paper have been placed in the Library.