Seòmar agus comataidhean

Thank you, Anisha. I invite members to ask questions. Russell Findlay will be first.

For the record, when you say “VIA”, are you referring to the victim information and advice service in the court system?

Good morning, and welcome to the third meeting in 2024 of the Criminal Justice Committee. We have received apologies from Katy Clark.

Under our first agenda item, we will continue to take evidence on the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill at stage 1. Today, we will hear the views of survivors of sexual crimes who have personal experience of the criminal justice system. This is an important evidence session for the committee. The bill aims to improve the experience of survivors of crime in the justice system, so it is important that we hear the perspectives of the panel members who are giving their views today.

I offer our first panel—Hannah McLaughlan and Ellie Wilson—a warm welcome. Thank you for taking the time to attend the meeting; it is greatly appreciated. I intend to allow about an hour for this session. If you would like to ask a question or say anything, please raise your hand or indicate to me in some way, and I will be happy to bring you in.

I thought that it might be helpful if I opened the session with a general question about trauma-informed practice. As you know, the bill introduces a requirement that victims and witnesses

“should be treated in a way that accords with trauma-informed practice”.

Do you think that that is needed? If so, why?

Thank you very much, Ellie.

That is really interesting. To summarise, we should not make assumptions about what people need or want. That is helpful.

Thanks, Ellie. There is a lot in what you have said that members will pick up on.

Before I open up the questioning to committee members, I welcome Jennifer McCann, who was held up in getting here. It is nice to see you. We will let you get settled in.

Thank you for that.

I come back to Dr Scott. You spoke helpfully about the specialist domestic abuse courts that we have been developing in Scotland and how they have demonstrated excellent outcomes.

I will shift a little bit to discuss the proposal for, and the piloting of, judge-only trials. There are different views on that. We have heard that that was a clear recommendation from Lady Dorrian, and that the pilot would be time limited. Given your experience in a different context, I am interested in hearing your views on that proposal, given that there is a pilot.

I am reluctant to intervene but a few members want to come in and we have a bit to cover.

Could I move things on?

Please be quick, as quite a few members want to ask questions.