CCA’s written evidence on the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill

One of the key provisions in Part 6 of the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill is the introduction of automatic reporting restrictions for sexual and other qualifying offences. Introduced by the Scottish Government, the proposals will be scrutinised by Holyrood’s Criminal Justice Committee over the coming months. On behalf of the CCA, Seonaid … Continue reading CCA’s written evidence on the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill

children care and justice bill

CCA’s written evidence on the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill

The Scottish Government introduced the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill in December 2022. The Bill proposed a range of reforms for children and justice – including a recasting of the anonymity provisions and reporting restrictions imposed in cases involving children accused of crime – and child witnesses and complainers. The key changes are set … Continue reading CCA’s written evidence on the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill

Interpreting sexual offence verdicts: public attitudes to complainer anonymity and the “not proven” debate

In the January 2023 edition of the Edinburgh Law Review, campaign co-founders Seonaid Stevenson-McCabe and Andrew Tickell have published a new research paper building on the research work of the CCA. Entitled “Interpreting sexual offence verdicts: public attitudes to complainer anonymity and the “not proven” debate,” the article reports findings of an opinion poll on complainer … Continue reading Interpreting sexual offence verdicts: public attitudes to complainer anonymity and the “not proven” debate

CCA in the Herald

In her column in The Herald newspaper, Catriona Stewart – a panelist at our recent Complainer Anonymity: Reforming Scots Law event – event reflects on the reform campaign and public understandings (and misunderstandings) about the current state of the law.

How should complainer anonymity for sexual offences be introduced in Scotland?

The work of the campaign has been underpinned by comparative research by the team, looking to learn the best lessons from international practice where reporting restrictions apply to sexual offence cases. In the Edinburgh Law Review, Dr Andrew Tickell has explored key policy design questions facing the Scottish Government in legislating for complainer anonymity, drawing on … Continue reading How should complainer anonymity for sexual offences be introduced in Scotland?