This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Special prosecutors for crimes against environment
09/02/2004
A national network of specialist environmental
prosecutors has been created to tackle those who endanger
human health, wildlife and the environment through criminal
actions.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS)
prosecutors will work in partnership with environment
protection professionals from the Scottish Environment
Protection Agency (SEPA).
Lord Advocate Colin Boyd QC announced the initiative
today to coincide with a joint COPFS/SEPA environmental
crime training course in Edinburgh.
He said:
"We are strongly committed to improving our specialism
in environmental crime. I am pleased to announce the
creation of a network of specialist environmental
prosecutors to ensure the robust enforcement of
environmental law.
"By working with the Scottish Environment Protection
Agency, other specialist agencies and our partners in the
criminal justice system, we aim to make a real difference
to communities and the environment.
"The pollution of rivers by raw sewage or chemical
spillage and the dumping of rubbish in the heart of
communities is a real threat to human health and to the
environment.
"COPFS takes these types of offences and all
environmental crime very seriously. The specialist
environmental prosecutor initiative is a partnership
agreement with SEPA to actively improve the COPFS
specialism in environmental law.
SEPA Chief Executive Dr Campbell Gemmell said:
"SEPA welcomes the establishment of this network of
specialist environmental prosecutors and our staff will be
working closely with them to protect and improve Scotland's
environment.
"SEPA and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
work hard to improve understanding of environmental crime,
the impacts of which are significant, in environmental,
social and economic terms.
"Pollution offences reduce the quality of everyone's
life but ongoing education, effective regulation and this
commitment to a specialist prosecution service should send
a clear message - Scotland is not prepared to tolerate
environmental crime."
The joint SEPA/COPFS environmental crime training in
Edinburgh, part of a national and local training programme,
is designed to equip prosecutors to conduct the effective
investigation and prosecution of environmental crime.
COPFS is divided into 11 Areas throughout Scotland. The
specialist prosecutors for each area will act as the source
of specialist advice and information for prosecutors within
each area and liaise with SEPA and other agencies.