Seòmar agus comataidhean

Thanks very much. Gosh! There was a lot in those opening remarks, and a lot for us to try to unpick in our questions.

I will now open it up to members, who I know have some questions that they want to ask. We will start with Russell Findlay.

I suggest to members that they should direct their questions to specific panel members so that we use our time as efficiently as we can.

Thank you for that helpful clarification. Jamie Greene wishes to come in, then we will hear from Russell Findlay.

A very good morning, and welcome to the 17th meeting in 2023 of the Criminal Justice Committee. There are no apologies this morning, and Fulton MacGregor is joining us online.

Our first item of business is a decision on whether to take in private item 6, which is consideration of today’s evidence. Do we agree to take that item in private?

Members indicated agreement.

The next item is consideration of an affirmative instrument. I am pleased to welcome Angela Constance, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, and her officials to the meeting. From the Scottish Government, we have Walter Drummond-Murray, who is head of the civil courts unit; Conor Samson, who is justice co-operation policy manager; and Emma Thomson, who is a solicitor in the legal directorate. I refer members to paper 1, and I invite the cabinet secretary to speak to the instrument.

There is an escalating issue and challenge, so we need to think about how to direct resources to address it.

Thanks very much. There is a lot to think about. Martin MacLean wants to come in at some point, but first I will let Jamie Greene come in with his question.

Thanks very much for that helpful clarification. I am going to draw this session to a close. It has been fascinating and there is a lot for us to think about with regard to the work that is clearly going on. It is welcome to hear about the commitment in and around these issues, but also the challenges and the work that is required.

Thank you all for your time today. We will suspend the meeting very briefly to allow our panel members to leave. Thanks very much.

No one else wants to come in. Thanks very much, Rona and Jamie. I have noted your comments about timescales and I do not disagree. We seem to have been looking at this for quite some time. If it is helpful for members, I flag that last week, in response to a question that I asked in the Conveners Group meeting, about progress on access to court transcripts, the First Minister said:

“The Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs was planning to write to the committee this week expressing the Government’s commitment to supporting a pilot to support access to court transcripts, initially focused on complainers in sexual offence cases. So it is an issue that I am well aware of, given my previous role as a cabinet secretary for justice. We will absolutely commit to a pilot focused initially on complainers in sexual offence cases.”

I am certainly happy to hear that. That is where we want to be. I absolutely take the point about timescales. If members wish, I am happy to write to the Government seeking a bit more clarity on timescales. I also suggest, if members are in agreement, that we send a copy of the cabinet secretary’s letter to Rape Crisis Scotland for its information and to Scottish Women’s Aid and Victim Support Scotland, which have all been interested in and active on this issue, for their information. Do members agree with that proposal?

As members have no further questions, I invite the cabinet secretary to move motion S6M-08712.

Motion moved,

That the Criminal Justice Committee recommends that the International Organisations (Immunities and Privileges) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2023 [draft] be approved—[Angela Constance].

Motion agreed to.