Can specialist offence courts help improve the experience of victims and witnesses in the Scottish justice system, and could this initiative encourage and empower more people to share their experiences?

The Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill was introduced in April 2023 and proposes that there should be a specialist sexual offences court in Scotland. In this episode, recorded in 2024, we discuss the potential impacts of this - how it would work where an individual has multiple convictions for different crimes, what are the aims of the specialist courts and what do we really mean by 'specialist'? We also consider how the court experience could be improved for those involved in the justice system, including trauma-informed approaches and practical steps.

Features Chartered Psychologists & Registered Forensic Psychologists Geoff Tordzro-Taylor (RMA Head of Development) and Debbie Campbell (Head of OLR) and our Development Lead, Forensic Psychologist in training, Rachel Webb.

For more information on the work of the Risk Management Authority see: www.rma.scot

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Futher Reading:

Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill: https://www.parliament.scot/bills-and-laws/bills/s6/victims-witnesses-and-justice-reform-scotland-bill

RMA Standards and Guidelines: https://www.rma.scot/standards-guidelines/