Jamie Greene MSP Urges Scottish Government Not To Roll Back on Victim’s Rights Commitments
Jamie Greene MSP has called on the Scottish Government to follow through with their commitments to introduce meaningful improvements to victim’s rights throughout the criminal justice system.
Mr Greene’s comments come as the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform Bill approaches its final stage in Parliament.
The Liberal Democrat MSP for the West Scotland Region secured a commitment from the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs in March 2025 to work together on 13 separate amendments to the Bill.
These amendments, which are largely formed from Jamie Greene MSP’s own Victim’s Law, include measures that would guarantee the right of all victims to:
• make an impact statement to courts during their perpetrator’s trial
• attend their perpetrator’s parole hearings
• make oral contributions to parole proceedings if they choose to.
The families of murder victims will be meeting the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs this week where they will also be urging the Scottish Government to stand firm on their support for Jamie Greene’s amendment that would require the Parole Board to consider a murderer’s failure to disclose the location of their victim’s remains before granting parole, which was approved by Holyrood’s Criminal Justice Committee in March.
Commenting, Jamie Greene MSP said:
“The Scottish Government’s support for my Suzanne’s Law amendment, which was achieved through years of negotiation and compromise, is a welcome step forward in restoring balance to the criminal justice system which all too often favours the offender over the victim.
“As the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform Bill approaches the finishing line, I am urging the Scottish Government not to back down on their commitment to work with me in bringing forward further meaningful improvements to victim’s rights in Scotland’s justice system.
“Victims of crime cannot afford to have these changes kicked into the long grass any longer, the time to make these improvements through this legislation is now and the Scottish Government must acknowledge that.”