This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Commonwealth Law Ministers meeting
18/11/2002
The Lord Advocate, Colin Boyd QC, Scotland's most senior
law officer and an Executive Minister, is attending this
week 12th Commonwealth Law Ministers meeting in St Vincent
and the Grenadines in the Caribbean.
Ministers and representatives from across the 54-nation
Commonwealth will discuss progress on international legal
cooperation and propose new solutions for consideration by
Heads of Government, who meet next year in Nigeria.
Scotland's prosecutors will share their unique
experience of the investigation and prosecution of those
responsible for the bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie as
part of the discussions on international terrorism.
Discussions will include legal issues relating to:
- international cooperation to combat terrorism
- democracy, good governance and human rights
- model laws on competition, computer crime and
e-commerce
- co-operation in the administration of criminal
justice
- freedom of information and privacy protection
In particular, The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal
Service will share its unique experience of the
investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the
bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie as part of the
discussions on international terrorism.
Colin Boyd said:
"Recent terrorist atrocities have made absolutely clear
the need for a continued co-ordinated approach to securing
the effective prosecution of international terrorists.
"In Scotland we gained valuable experience during the
investigation of the bombing of Pan Am 103 over
Lockerbie.
"The Lockerbie trial demonstrated the simple lesson that
face-to-face contact makes a massive difference in securing
effective international co-operation".
"The meeting will also focus on international
co-operation to combat serious crime. This forum not only
allows us to make a valuable contribution to international
law and practices but also to learn from best practice
elsewhere.
"The prosecution service in Scotland is committed to
professional excellence and while Scotland is rightly proud
of having one of the best legal systems in the world, we
must be outward looking to learn from, and contribute to,
developments in international and domestic law."
COPFS international co-operation against crime has
traditionally comprised extradition and other forms of
assistance, usually referred to as 'mutual legal
assistance' (MLA).
In the year to the end of March 2002, the department
received 62 MLA requests. In the same period 39 such
requests for assistance from other States were sent out.
The department was involved in 25 extradition cases
including that of William Beggs who was sentenced to a
minimum of 20 years for murder.
COPFS is also involved in a number of ongoing
initiatives. An experienced Principal Procurator Fiscal
Depute who is fluent in Italian is serving as a liaison
magistrate in Rome and has done much to facilitate
co-operation between Italy and the UK. Such liaison
arrangements are an increasing feature of international
criminal justice procedures.
Eurojust has recently been established in Brussels
Eurojust brings together prosecutors from EU member states
to facilitate practical co-operation in serious cases.
Later this month Scotland's Law Officers will brief EC
contacts in Brussels on relevant aspects of Scots law and
be briefed on current issues on the justice and home
affairs and legal affairs agenda.
The programme of international co-operation continues
next month when the Solicitor General for Scotland, Mrs
Elish Angiolini QC, will participate in a conference in
Charleston, South Carolina.
The conference 'Technology and its effects on criminal
responsibility, security and criminal justice', run by the
International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law, will
allow experts and professionals to come together to discuss
the increasing impact of technology on the criminal justice
systems worldwide.
The Solicitor General will be a member of an expert
panel addressing the issue of 'improving access to justice
through technology' and will share current practice and
developments in Scotland