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“New corpse law gives boost to transplant patients: Doctor’s have been given the legal green light to carry out a controversial new procedure on dead bodies which would provide hundreds more desperately needed organs for transplant. The Crown Office has ruled it is not a crime to pump preservative into the bodies of people who have died suddenly and are never put on a ventilator, and then get permission from relatives later to remove their organs [. . .] Scotland on Sunday
Posted by MM on Mon 23rd Feb 2004 at 2:12 pm“Margaret Curran will be participating in a live online question and answer session on February 24, 2004. The Minister will be answering questions between 13:00 and 14:00 on 24 Feb 2004. Questions may be submitted during the interview or in advance from 08:00 on 24 Feb 2004 . . .” Scot. Exec.
Posted by MM on Fri 20th Feb 2004 at 3:37 pm
“Facing up to juvenile offending: Traditionally, the standard police approach to tackling fledgling delinquents was to drag them into the nearest station and issue an unofficial caution known as a “superintendent?s warning”. Its sole purpose was to make the wayward youth cry, or at least tremble with fear [. . .] In contrast to the hard-line policies of the past, Scotland?s local authorities and police forces are embracing the concept of restorative justice. By the end of this year, it is expected the scheme, favoured by the First Minister, Jack McConnell, will cover the entire country. . .” Scotsman
Posted by MM on Fri 20th Feb 2004 at 2:30 pm“Falconer woos Scotland’s lawyers: Lord Falconer, the temporary lord chancellor and constitutional affairs secretary, will tonight launch a bid to convince Scotland?s senior lawyers that plans to create a supreme court are not a threat to the nation?s independent legal system [. . .] The peer will be giving the inaugural Falconer Lecture in memory of his father [. . .] His subject is Constitutional Reform: Strengthening Rights and Democracy. . .” Scotsman
See also
Posted by MM on Fri 20th Feb 2004 at 2:25 pm
“Zones ‘will not solve city vice girls problem’: Tolerance zones for prostitutes are not the answer to the problem of vice girls, a report claimed today. Glasgow City Council welcomed the research conducted in four countries, which also claimed legalising prostitution wouldn’t cut human trafficking. City leaders said the report backed up their case for opposing an MSP’s Bill to give councils the power to create official prostitution zones in Scotland . . .” Evening Times
See also
Prostitution Tolerance Zones (Scotland) Bill and associated papers.
Posted by MM on Thu 19th Feb 2004 at 10:23 pm
“Community safety funding: Communities across Scotland will benefit from funding to make them safer places to live and work, Deputy Justice Minister Hugh Henry confirmed today.
A total of £800,000 of Executive funding will be distributed to local authority-led Community Safety Partnerships according to a points system that rewards particularly effective partnership working . . .” Scot. Exec.
“Drink law leads to fall in Glasgow street violence: A significant reduction in violence on the streets of Glasgow is being attributed to laws banning drinking in public places. In the past year more than 1,000 people were charged and almost half of them were under age. Police say it has made the streets safer and cleaner. . .” Scottish TV
Posted by MM on Thu 19th Feb 2004 at 10:13 pm“Police unveil drugs purge details: Police in Fife have broken their silence about the force’s biggest anti-drugs operation. It focused on large amounts of heroin distributed through several communities including Methil, which led to a number of deaths as a result of overdoses. . .“ BBC
Press release
Posted by MM on Thu 19th Feb 2004 at 10:09 pm“Welcome to the chill-out room: How can the courts cope with the massive explosion in the female prison population? By using Indian head massage and yoga? [. . .] Scotland’s revolutionary - and successful - new approach [. . .] Sophia Young opens the door to one of the bedrooms in the large Georgian townhouse on the edge of Glasgow’s city centre.
“Lovely, isn’t it?” she says. The walls of the room are soothing blue, the bed adorned with bright scatter cushions and a throw, two fluffy towels folded neatly at its foot [. . .] and downstairs there is a chill-out room [. . .] This could be a boutique hotel. But it’s not. It is the UK’s first criminal justice-led alternative to prison for female offenders. . .” Guardian
See also
30.1.04 Alternatives to prison: Glasgow women’s project open at last. CjScotland: use calendar or search archives for link to posting..
Posted by MM on Thu 19th Feb 2004 at 9:54 pm“Committee criticises Executive?s criminal justice reform proposals: The Executive’s flagship proposals to reform the criminal justice system were today criticised by an influential committee of the Scottish parliament. . .” Scottish TV
Press release
“General principles of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill endorsed: The Scottish Parliament’s Justice 1 Committee has today endorsed the general principles of the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill [. . .] Convener of the Committee, Pauline McNeill, said: [. . .] ?Above all, the Committee considers that in order for the new procedures to be effective it is fundamental that they are adequately resourced. The Committee places particular importance on the resourcing of criminal legal aid fees, the Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service and the judiciary. . .” Scottish Parliament
See also
Justice 1 Committee. Stage 1 Report on the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill. Report.
Justice 1 Committee. Stage 1 Report on the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill. Evidence.
Criminal Procedure (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill (and associated papers).
There will be a debate on the Report in plenary session on Wednesday 25th February (see box to left).