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Response to Evidence Presented to Criminal Justice Committee

"The backlog figures quoted by the Lord Advocate today are deeply concerning. Behind these figures is the human cost and the distress and trauma that many survivors are subject to as a result of endless waits for their cases to come to court

We share the concerns that the Lord Advocate raised at the Criminal Justice Committee today and absolutely support her call for a re-consideration of Judge-led trials. Not doing anything is not an option in a country that claims to value fairness and justice, nor can we make tiny changes and hope the situation resolves itself. Bold action is needed.

We hear daily from survivors about the distress and suffering that long delays in the court process are causing, with survivors often left with little to no information or certainty. We cannot simply accept this as an inevitable side effect of the pandemic and we urge the Scottish Parliament to act and find radical action and innovative solutions."

- Sandy Brindley, Chief Executive of Rape Crisis Scotland

Full story in The Herald here.