Support for lay justice
1 Mar 05
Consultation rejects plans to axe justices of the peace
Proposals to axe Scotland’s justices of the peace have been given the thumbs down in a public consultation.
The bid to end 400 years of legal tradition was contained in the report by Sheriff Principal John McInnes QC which recommended reforms to Scotland’s non-jury courts.
However the summary of the consultation released yesterday showed that there is still widespread support for the retention of lay justice. Not surprisingly, JPs themselves felt that the proposals had not been justified and it did not make sense to pay shrieval salaries for work the JPs currently do voluntarily.
Other key responses were majority support for increasing the scope of fixed penalty notices and fiscal fines, and support for more widely available, more robust alternatives to prosecution. A plan to unify the administration of the summary justice ststem was also welcomed.
Scottish Ministers will announce their next steps on the recommendations to reform the summary justice system shortly.