Jackie is encouraging constituents to share their views on the proposed safeguards which would be put in place should corroboration be abolished.

Local MSP Jackie Baillie is encouraging constituents to share their views on the proposed safeguards which would be put in place should corroboration be abolished.

Under the current legal system, evidence is required from at least two different and independent sources in support of each crucial fact before a defendant can be convicted of a crime. The Scottish Government want to abolish this requirement.

Legal professionals raised serious concerns when the Scottish Government brought forward a bill to abolish corroboration without safeguards.

As a result Kenny MacAskill, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, was forced to establish a review to analyse what additional safeguards would be required were corroboration to be abolished.

That Review, established in February 2014 and led by Lord Bonomy, has now made suggestions as to what safeguards could be put in place. These could involve changes to guidelines for police evidence gathering, confession evidence, jury size and verdicts. And now the Review is asking the public for their views, to help inform its thinking ahead of its final report to the Scottish Government, which is due next April.

 Local MSP Jackie Baillie is urging her constituents to use their voice:

 “It is incredibly important that we have the right checks and balances in place before considering whether to remove corroboration.

 “We rely on our justice system in many different ways, and interact with it for a variety of different reasons. And we need to have faith in the integrity of that system.

 “That is why this review is so important -; and why the expert group needs to hear from people in Dumbarton, Vale of Leven and Helensburgh and Lomond.  The thoughts, experiences and opinions that you share can only help the process, and help ensure that the recommendations made in April are the right ones.”

The consultation period will run from 14 October to 28 November 2014. During the consultation period, the Review will be holding public meetings in Inverness, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Hamilton. For more information on the review, the public meetings, and details of how to respond to the consultation go to the Review’s website: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/Review/post-corroboration-safeguards