This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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FM lecture on crime and criminal justice
16/09/2003
The First Minister has set out his proposals for
securing greater public confidence in law enforcement, the
justice system, and the effectiveness of sentencing in a
lecture to an audience of senior police officers, lawyers
and judges.
He explained the
reforms he wanted to pursue and promised to ensure
that 'vested interests' did not hold up the
process.
He said:
"We are right to be proud of our past. And right
to be pleased with the changes introduced since
devolution.
"But the confidence of ordinary families in law
enforcement, in our courts and hearings and in the
effectiveness of sentencing is far too low.
"For nearly 900 years the world has looked up
to
Scotlandas having one of the most sophisticated, effective
and fair criminal justice systems. But that accolade was
earned because Scots have always known that the law is a
living thing, that its application needs to change as
society changes. This is an exciting time and the journey
we are making will be rewarding.
We are not proposing piecemeal changes, or making
one of the simplistic choices from the old debates. We
have a programme for a four-year term.
New resources will be targeted to improve the
system. A comprehensive package of reforms from youth
justice through police and court operations, to
sentencing policy and sentencing delivery, has been
laid out.
As a government we understand the complexity, but
we are also prepared to speak simple truths. We will
continue to listen, and we will act where change is
necessary."