Courts and Sentencing

Related People

Ryan Casey

PhD Student

University of Glasgow

Sharon McAllister

PhD Student

University of Stirling

Rania Hamad

PhD Student

University of Edinburgh

Dr Rhonda Wheate

Senior Teaching Fellow

University of Strathclyde

Dr Sarah Armstrong

Director, SCCJR

Professor

University of Glasgow

Dr Gemma Flynn

Teaching Fellow in Criminology

University of Edinburgh

Prof Michele Burman

Founding Co-Director, SCCJR

Professor of Criminology

University of Glasgow

Prof Richard Sparks

Founding Co-Director, SCCJR

Professor of Criminology

University of Edinburgh

Related News

An open letter about the Whole Life Custody draft proposal by Liam Kerr MSP

26th August 2019

Dr Hannah Graham (Stirling) and Prof Fergus McNeill (Glasgow) have written an open letter to Liam Kerr MSP in response to his proposal to introduce a whole life custodial sentence. In their letter Dr Graham and Prof McNeill argue that the proposals are ‘as regressive and problematic in principle as it would prove to be in practice’ and say existing arrangements in Scotland “for dealing...

Victim-Survivors of rape don’t feel justice has been met, even if the accused goes to prison

22nd August 2019

The Scottish criminal justice process leaves those who have reported a rape or serious sexual assault feeling marginalised and with little control regardless of their case’s outcome, a new study has found. Researchers from the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research at the University of Glasgow interviewed victim-survivors who have...

Related Projects

The Scottish Prisons Commission: Ten Years On

In July 2008 The Scottish Prisons Commission (also known as the McLeish Commission) published its report Scotland’s Choice. This report culminated an eight month investigation of how Scotland uses prison and the range of factors that drive this, from inequality in society to arrest and sentencing practices. The report contained 23 recommendations covering an almost unprecedented range of...

Social Enquiry and Sentencing in the Sheriff Courts

This ESRC funded research project was a collaboration led by Simon Halliday, Neil Hutton and Cyrus Tata at the University of Strathclyde. The study used ethnographic methods to study the production of social enquiry (or pre-sentence) reports and their use by sentencers. A summary report of the project’s findings can be found in project documents, along with some related recent...

Related Publications

Open letter about the Whole Life Custody draft proposal by Liam Kerr MSP

Published: August 2019

Dr Hannah Graham (Stirling) and Prof Fergus McNeill (Glasgow) have written an open letter to Liam Kerr MSP in response to his proposal to introduce a whole life custodial sentence. Mr Kerr believes ‘life should mean life for Scotland’s worst criminals’ and has brought forward a consultation process on the issue. In their letter Dr Graham and Prof McNeill argue that the proposals are...

Justice Journeys Informing policy and practice through lived experience of victim‐survivors of rape and serious sexual assault

Published: August 2019

This report documents the journeys of the victim-survivors interviewed as they navigated the Scottish criminal justice system. It begins with the decision to report to the police and continues through to reporting, investigation, prosecution, trial and court verdict. The research did not intend to consider sentencing, though views on this are included where they are available. Finally,...

Briefing on the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 Reporting Requirement

Published: 2019

Section 14 subsection 4 (f) requires ‘information about the experience of witnesses (including witnesses who are children) at court’. The Measuring Justice project is completing a review of methods of measuring justice experiences and offers a summary of how this work might inform the Government’s fulfilment of the reporting requirement.

Review of the Aberdeen Problem-Solving Approach

Published: September 2018

The Aberdeen Problem-Solving Approach (PSA) has been running in Aberdeen Sheriff Court since November 2015 (for women) and since August 2016 (for young men). In line with theory and evidence on problem-solving justice, it aims to reduce the use of short custodial sentences and reduce reoffending by combining the authority of the court with support and rehabilitative opportunities to address the...

The Scottish Prisons Commission 10 Years On – A Briefing Paper

Published: July 2018

This briefing paper highlights the key issues that the Commission concerned itself with during its deliberations, quoting from its report and sketching how the landscape in these areas has developed since then. We hope it serves as a useful refresher for stimulating your participation at the conference on 29th June 2018. The presentations, lectures and discussion at this event will inform the...

Scottish Prisons Commission Conference Programme

Published: June 2018