Environment crime moves up the agenda

Scottish Executive looking proposals for specialist environmental court

News, 11 November 2005

A new environmental court with the power to issue substantial fines is under consideration for Scotland.

The Scottish Executive is currently drawing up proposals for new systems to deal with environmental crimes. Campaigners and others believe these crimes should be removed from the current court system because judges do not have the specialist knowledge required.

Green organisations also claim that there are huge differences between how the law is enforced in England and Wales, and Scotland, with average fines being much higher south of the border.

Recent prosecutions in Scotland have seen Aberdeenshire Council fined £2,000 for allowing hazardous liquid to discharged from a landfill site, and Scottish Water fined £1,000 for polluting a burn at Alness with raw sewage.

Environmental pressure groups believe that low fines are not sufficiently punitive for large organisations.

Friends of the Earth Scotland's chief executive Duncan McLaren said it was important that environmental crime was tackled effectively and appropriately to avoid hazards to the public.

The Scottish Executive's proposals will be put out for consultation in the spring. The Executive has studied how environmental crime is dealt with in countries such as Sweden, Denmark, Australia and New Zealand, where specialist courts already operate.