Providing a comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to the contemporary Scottish criminal justice system, the Criminal Justice in Scotland book focuses on its key processes (from arrest to post-sentence) and institutions, as well as its history and some of the key challenges and critical issues facing Scottish criminal justice today.

Highly attentive to procedural and institutional detail, the book is underpinned by a critical sociological perspective. The opening chapter considers Scotland in its post-devolutionary context within the UK, setting the scene for Scottish criminal justice institutions. Subsequent chapters deal in turn with different institutions and processes of Scottish criminal justice: surveillance and crime prevention, policing, prosecution and the courts, criminal fines and other financial penalties, community justice, electronic monitoring, prisons, youth justice, and parole and post-sentence reintegration and supervision. The final chapter draws on comparative and international criminology to look at Scottish criminal justice in changing international contexts and its response to new global crimes.

Criminal Justice in Scotland is published by Routledge and will be available in August 2025.

Blethers with . . . 

Scotland’s criminal justice system has always been distinct from that of England and Wales – long before devolution and the debate over independence. In this podcast series, a team of criminologists at Edinburgh Napier University looks at some of the key issues, practical challenges and political debates across Scottish criminal justice. Each episode is a ‘blether’ (chat) with someone who works in or around our complex and ever-changing justice system. We’ll hear from lawyers specialising in parole, social workers in sexual harm prevention, researchers studying criminal fines, and more. This podcast series was developed to accompany the textbook Criminal Justice in Scotland, but it’s not necessary to have read the book – or to have any knowledge of Scottish criminal justice – and episodes can be listened to in any order.

Listen to the following episodes here;

A Blether with… Dr Amy Cullen, Researcher on Financial Penalties in Scotland

In this episode Jamie talks to Dr Amy Cullen, who at this point had just completed a PhD at the University of Glasgow looking at fines and the enforcement of financial penalties in Scotland. Amy talks about what happens when somebody can’t pay a fine and the connections between fines, other criminal justice measures, and wider social inequalities. We also reflect on why fines are so understudied in criminology, and Amy gives some advice for people who might be thinking about a PhD.
This podcast is intended to accompany Chapter 5 of the book, but can be listened to on its own.

A Blether with… David Russell, (then) Community Safety and Justice Manager, Midlothian Council

CONTENT WARNING: This episode includes a discussion of sexual harm, including involving children.
In this episode, Edinburgh Napier BA (Hons) Social Sciences student (now graduate) Gerda-Liis Nurmjoe leads an interview with David Russell, who at this time was Community Safety and Justice Manager in Midlothian, just south of Edinburgh. David talks us through restorative justice, community justice in a rural context and the impact of Covid-19 on community justice.
This podcast is intended to accompany Chapter 6 of the book, but can be listened to on its own.

A Blether with… James Smith, a lawyer specialising in parole cases

A Blether with… Kate Alexander, Director, Scottish Detainee Visitors

In this episode Sarah interviews Kate Alexander, the Director of Scottish Detainee Visitors (SDV), a Glasgow-based charity which supports people detained in Dungavel, Scotland’s only Immigration Removal Centre. Although immigration detention is distinct from criminal justice, the two are connected in complex and problematic ways – as Sarah and Kate discuss. The episode also outlines the challenges facing people in immigration detention, and the work of SDV – both supporting people detained in Dungavel, and campaigning on immigration issues in a challenging political context.

Please note that this podcast was recorded in November 2025; references to the Scottish/UK governments generally refer to those at the time of recording. Since immigration is reserved to Westminster, “the government” usually refers to the UK government.

This podcast is intended to accompany Chapter 11 of the book, but can be listened to on its own. You can find out more about Scottish Detainee Visitors via their website (https://sdv.org.uk/).