Off the wire
• 1st LD Writethru: U.S. dollar fluctuates against major currencies  • UN Security Council slams terrorist attacks in Egypt's Sinai  • 19.5 pct of Portuguese nationals at risk of poverty: official figures  • Italian economy to start recovery in first months of 2015: statistics institute  • France, Poland to strengthen anti-terrorist cooperation  • Germany's benchmark DAX decreases slightly on Friday  • 1st LD Writethru: Oil prices surge despite downbeat economic data  • Foreign exchange rates of Euro to other currencies  • Norwegian university management sees no grounds for expulsion of 2 researchers  • Urgent: U.S. dollar fluctuates against major currencies  
You are here: 　 Home

Victims, witnesses to gain more support, rights in Scotland

Xinhua, January 31, 2015 Adjust font size:

Measures to improve support and information available to victims and witnesses of crime in Scotland were being brought into force on Friday.

This is the second package of measures to be implemented from the Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2014, which will improve the experience of victims and witnesses when dealing with Scotland's justice system, said a Scottish government statement.

Victims and witnesses will have a new right to request information about their case from the police, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the Scottish Court Service, which ensures victims and witnesses remain informed and are able to keep up-to-date with their case, it noted.

The organizations, plus the Scottish Prison Service and Parole Board for Scotland, will also be required to set and publish standards of service to inform victims and witnesses about what to expect as they pass through the criminal justice system.

The standards, due to be published by April 30, have been developed in consultation with a range of stakeholders, and will be kept under review to ensure they remain relevant and useful.

Scottish cabinet Secretary for Justice Michael Matheson said: "Providing more help and support for victims is key to building an even stronger criminal justice system in Scotland."

"The Scottish Government is working closely with justice organizations to ensure victims and witnesses feel supported, safe and informed at every stage of the criminal justice process." he noted.

"We have worked closely with victim support organisations throughout the legislative process and in planning for implementation, and the measures in this Act have been widely welcomed," he added.

The measures in the act seek to ensure that victims and witnesses are at the heart of reforms to Scotland's justice system, giving them the confidence they need to know that their voices will be heard, according to Matheson.

The Scottish government provides over 5 million pounds (about 7.53 million U.S. dollars) in funding to victims organizations annually, including Victim Support Scotland.

The first package of justice measures from the act was brought into force on Aug. 13, 2014, which include new rights for victims of sexual offences, domestic abuse, human trafficking and stalking to specify the gender of their police interviewer, and make oral representations to the Parole Board in relation to the release of prisoners serving a sentence of life imprisonment.

The Victims and Witnesses Act 2014 was passed by the Scottish Parliament in December 2013 and received Royal Assent in January 2014. Endit