Meeting of the Scottish Sentencing Council Research Committee

MEETING OF THE SCOTTISH SENTENCING COUNCIL RESEARCH COMMITTEE

24 AUGUST 2017, JUDGES’ CONFERENCE ROOM, SALTMARKET, GLASGOW

DRAFT MINUTES

Members present: Professor Neil Hutton (chair)

Stephen O’Rourke

Lord Turnbull

Gillian Thomson, Justice of the Peace

Secretariat: Andrew Bell (Principal Research Officer)

Gordon Jack (PhD Intern)

Apologies: Sheriff Frank Crowe (committee advisor)

1. PROCEEDINGS

Item 1.1: Introduction and welcome

1)  Apologies were received from Sheriff Crowe.

Item 1.2: Minutes of previous meeting

2)  The Committee agreed the minutes of the previous meeting without amendment.

Item 1.3: Private papers

3)  The Committee agreed that papers RC1.4, RC2.2, RC3.1, RC3.1.A-RC3.1D, RC5.1 and RC5.1A should be marked as private.

Item 1.3: Annual report [RC1.4]

4)  The Committee agreed that the draft wording in paper RC1.4 is acceptable as the Committee’s annual report to Council and were content for it to be included within the Council’s Annual Report.

Item 1.5: Committee Review [Oral]

5)  The Committee were updated on the requirements for the Council to consider its Committee structure on an annual basis. The Committee felt there was a strong argument for the Research Committee retaining responsibility and oversight of research matters if guideline-specific committees are established by the Council, subject to suitably process light methods of working being agreed.

2. EXTERNAL RESEARCH

Item 2.1: R7 SGSSS PhD internships update [Oral]

6)  The Committee were updated on the progress of the Ph.D. internship scheme. One application was received for the environment and wildlife crime scoping project. The Committee considered the candidate and agreed to proceed.

ACTION POINTS

AP1.  Secretariat to progress recruitment of candidate and begin project as advertised.

Item 2.2: Outline project proposals [RC2.2]

7)  The Committee discussed outline project proposals detailed in paper RC2.2.

8)  The Committee agreed that the following projects should be taken forward:

a)  Public perceptions of youth offending and sentencing in hard to reach groups;

b)  Engagement with young offenders on youth offending guidelines (2018/19);

c)  Youth offending literature review;

d)  Environment and wildlife crime PhD internship;

e)  Comparative fines analysis for environment and wildlife crime;

f)  Death by driving judicial engagement;

g)  Sexual offences shrieval engagement; and

h)  Sexual offences court observation.

9)  The Committee agreed not to pursue youth offending appeals analysis due to recent changes within the sentencing environment for these offences making this less likely to yield useful data at this time. The Committee also felt that death by driving public perceptions research could be reconsidered in 2018/19 after judicial engagement was complete.

10) The Committee were content to consider further project specifications and tender documents by correspondence.

ACTION POINTS

AP2.  Secretariat to progress projects noted above.

3. RESEARCH REPORTS

Item 3.1: Youth offending project report [RC3.1 and RC3.1A-D]

11)  Gordon Jack spoke to the Committee to highlight key findings from the public perceptions of youth offending project. The Committee thanked Gordon for his hard work in the short period of time he was with the Secretariat and noted the value of his work.

4. PROMOTING AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING

12)  There were no items to discuss under this heading at this meeting.

5. SEXUAL OFFENDING

Item 5.1: Sheriffdom business conference group scoping exercise [RC5.1 and RC5.1A]

13)  The Committee discussed the proposed topics for discussion with sheriffs at the forthcoming sheriffdom business conferences (should this be agreed with the respective organisers) or other engagement opportunities. The Committee felt that key topics included a discussion of what offences are most common, the types of sentence typically applied in relation to such offences and what areas give sentencers difficulty. The Committee agreed early engagement with the judiciary to explore the scope of a potential guideline on sexual offences was worthwhile. The Committee noted the importance of ensuring a broad spread across rural and urban courts.

ACTION POINTS

AP3.  Secretariat to progress events with sheriffdoms.

6. Future meeting dates

Item 6.1: Future meeting dates [Oral]

ACTION POINTS

AP4.  Secretariat to canvass dates with members.

7. AOCB

Item 7.1: AOCB [Oral]

14)  None.

Scottish Sentencing Council Secretariat August 2017

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