JUSTICE 2003-7: - ACHIEVEMENTS
Safer Daily Lives
- record number of police officers - up nearly 1,500 since 1999 - backed by record levels of resources (some £1.1 billion)
- frontline policing supported by increased use of Special Constables and over 550 community-based wardens.
- crime is falling - down 5 per cent last year and lower than in 2002-3 and 1998-9
- historically high clear-up rates for crime - nearly half of all crimes (46 per cent) now solved compared with less than a third in the 1980s
- serious violent crime coming down - 1,000 fewer victims of violent crime last year
- housebreaking crimes down for the seventh consecutive year - 6,000 fewer homes broken into since 2002-3 and housebreaking now nearly half what is was in 1997
- record seizures of hard drugs - last year alone police seized drugs with a total street value of £22.4 million.
- unprecedented freezing and seizing of criminals' assets - over £10 million taken from criminals since Proceeds of Crime Act came into force.
- strengthening the Scottish Drug Enforcement yet further to crack down on all forms of serious, organised crime
- more powers for the police to tackle drug-related crime and football-related violence
- new strategy to tackle the underlying culture of violence in hard-pressed urban communities
- new measures to tackle the scourge of knife crime through strengthening the law, tougher prosecution guidelines, and better police enforcement - supported by investment for 1,000 more hand-held metal detectors
- fewer knives in circulation with 12,500 weapons handed in during first national knives amnesty
- new legislation and strategic guidance for the most significant modernisation of fire and rescue services since World War II
- record levels of investment in the fire and rescue services - over £300 million in the coming year
Respect for Individuals and Communities
- new powers and resources being used to help local people combat antisocial behaviour - like the dispersal powers that helped break a cycle of trouble for the whole village of Mid Calder
- over 200 ASBOs granted against local troublemakers - up 60 per cent on the previous year (to be updated in November 2006)
- more criminals' assets being ploughed back into supporting communities that need help most - £2 million for new community initiatives in areas hardest hit by serious violent crime rolling out from September
- an Action Plan driving forward work across Government and across communities to tackle the shameful legacy of sectarianism, ahead of a second anti-sectarian summit before the end of 2006
- taking steps, backed by new legislative force, to control the impact of unruly marches and parades on communities
- with Westminster support, tighter controls on the sale of airguns as part of the toughest firearms regime in Europe
- proposals for new offences to tackle those causing nuisance and offence by buying or selling sex on the streets
Joined-up Services Bringing Law and Order to Chaotic Lives
- tough new monitoring requirements on sex offenders - putting real responsibilities and sanctions on the offenders to comply
- new legislation introduced to strengthen the protection of children and young people from sexual abuse
- new legislation and new organisations put in place to improve offender management and reduce re-offending rates
- set up the innovative 218 Time Out centre for women offenders, leading the way in the UK (the Home Office have recently announced piloting of similar centres in England)
- increased the number of addicts able to access drug treatment by 35 per cent since 2001 - with further investment to provide for over 15,000 people to enter treatment in the coming year
- provided the courts with highly effective Drug Treatment and Testing Orders for dealing with serious drug misusing offenders, which have been shown can eliminate reoffending amongst 50 per cent of clients for the first two years after the order is imposed
- driving forward action for children in substance-misusing households, through the 'Hidden Harm: Next Steps' plan published in May 2006
- ensuring people can get the facts about drugs through our Know the Score campaign with over 160,000 visits to the website and 19,000 callers to the helpline in 2005 (a 128 per cent increase in visits to the website and a 26 per cent increase in calls)
Efficient Courts Delivering Effective Sentencing
- fewer trials adjourned in the High Court thanks to new reforms - up to 1,000 fewer adjournments already this year
- thousands of witnesses spared the stress of unnecessary court trips - tens of thousands of witness appearances saved since reforms were introduced
- more options for less serious offenders to compensate their victims and free up courts to deal with cases that deserve to be prosecuted
- streamlining the management and procedures of the non-jury courts to speed up the delivery of justice
led the UK and Europe with the introduction of Drug Courts, which are now being picked up by jurisdictions such as England and Norway - tough new proposals to tighten up bail and the monitoring of people on bail
- ending automatic unconditional early release from prisons and replacing it with a system where timing of release is based on risk not length of sentence, where sentences are more understandable, and which provides tighter community-based support on release
- invested in a strong and independent judiciary by increasing the number of High Court Judges to a record 34 - up from 27 in 1999
- promised to publish a draft Bill to strengthen judicial independence, establish a complaints scheme for judges' conduct, and strengthen further the transparency of judicial appointments
- hundreds of adult vulnerable and child witnesses now have the right to extra support and protection when giving their evidence in court
- with Executive funding, Victim Support Scotland were able to help 180,000 victims and witnesses in 2005-06
Legal Services and Safeguards for the Way We Live Today
- new Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006 updates the law to support families of all kinds, promoting stable relationships and children's welfare - backed by increasing investment in family support services
- two new in-court mediation pilots have started in Glasgow and Aberdeen sheriff courts
- the public defence solicitor office network has trebled to nine locations providing improved access to publicly-funded legal advice
- new Advice Finder website launched to provide public with free information on all forms of alternative dispute resolution, and as a gateway to other sites offering free information on civil justice issues
- we are building on evaluation of Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000, with further legislative reform to make the Act more accessible and user-friendly
- improving consumer confidence through a new independent Legal Complaints Commission to investigate complaints about legal professional services
- exploring ways of improving access to justice through legal aid and advice for Scotland's most vulnerable people
- promoting mutual recognition of court decisions to allow different jurisdictions across the EU, including Scotland, work together effectively to find solutions to cross-border justice issues
- with the UK Government, safeguarding the rights of mesothelioma victims to full compensation by reversing the House of Lords 'Barker' decision
- pledging to reform the law in Scotland on relatives' claims for damages - again to help the families of mesothelioma victims