Greene urges all parties to support key victims’ proposals ahead of final vote
Ahead of a final vote on the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Bill, Scottish Liberal Democrat Jamie Greene MSP has called on the Scottish Government and all parties in parliament to support his proposals to strengthen the rights of victims of crime.
On Tuesday, MSPs will vote for final time on the Victim, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill.
Jamie Greene has put forward a range of amendments to the Bill, which are largely formed from his own Victim’s Law. Among the measures proposed by these amendments are:
- A guaranteed right for victims to make impact statements during their perpetrator’s trial.
- A requirement for the Parole Board to:
- Consider the likely impact of the parole decision on the safety and security of any victim or of any family member.
- Consider applying an exemption zone to a prisoner.
- A requirement for the Victim’s Commissioner to introduce a victim’s charter, which sets out a victim’s journey and rights throughout the entirety of the criminal justice system.
Mr Greene has already succeeded in passing an amendment to the Bill which will require the Parole Board to take into account the perpetrator’s failure to disclose their victim’s remains. This is also known as Suzanne’s Law.
Jamie Greene said:
“Right now, our system can tilt too much in favour of a perpetrator of a crime, without proper regard for the victims and their families.
“To redress that balance and strengthen the rights of victims, I developed a Victim’s Law, and I have worked constructively to try and ensure the key measures set out in that law are included in this Bill.
“Ahead of the final vote this week, I am calling on the government and all parties across parliament to back my further proposals to strengthen victim’s rights.
“We are in the final months of this parliament, so there is no time to lose in making critical changes that could significantly improve the safety and rights of victims and their families. The time to make these changes is now."