Commenting on reports that the Scottish Government is considering raising the age of criminal responsibility, Liberal Democrat Justice spokesperson Robert Brown MSP said:

Robert Brown MSP"I strongly support raising the age of criminal responsibility.

"We must ensure that children are treated as children. It is quite wrong that children as young as 8 have to sit in the dock of an adult court. But local communities still need effective protection from children who commit serious criminal acts or a string of repeat vandalism or nuisance offences. The Children's Hearings must have all the powers they need to deal with them appropriately.

"We must put the mechanisms in place to put children who come off the rails back on the right track. What the public is interested in, what I am interested in, is what works for local communities and for young people."