Criminal Justice and Licensing Scotland Bill Lord Hamilton & Lord Gill 1

Testimony from The Right Hon Lord Hamilton, Lord President and Lord Justice General, The Right Hon Lord Gill, Lord Justice Clerk, and Carolyn Breeds, Deputy Legal Secretary to the Lord President to the Justice Committee of the Scottish Parliament, on the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Bill.

The specific issue at hand relates to proposals for a "Sentencing Council" in Scotland, where victims groups and communities would be given a say in the guidelines for sentences passed on those convicted of criminal offences. The "Sentencing Council" would be chaired by Lord Gill, the Lord Justice Clerk, but would compose a membership mostly of lay persons rather than from the judiciary who view the proposals as somewhat compromising to judicial independence.

The specific issue at hand relates to proposals for a "Sentencing Council" in Scotland, where victims groups and communities would be given a say in the guidelines for sentences passed on those convicted of criminal offences. The "Sentencing Council" would be chaired by Lord Gill, the Lord Justice Clerk, but would compose a membership mostly of lay persons rather than from the judiciary, who view the proposals as somewhat compromising to judicial independence.

You can read the full report on the Parliament's website here :

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/justice/or-09/ju09-1402.htm#C...

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