The Sexual Offences Working Group Committee will support the Scottish Sentencing Council in its preparation of sentencing guidelines on sexual offences.
The Committee will oversee all aspects of the development of the guidelines until submission to the High Court and will give consideration thereafter to ongoing monitoring of the guidelines. The Council will specify the expected lifetime of the committee. This may be reviewed and, if appropriate, amended by the Council during the committee’s lifetime. The Committee’s work will include, in particular:
- making recommendations to the Council as to the scope, content, and approach of the guidelines;
- identifying knowledge and information gaps relevant to the development of the guidelines, submitting any proposals for research to the Research Committee;
- reviewing draft guidelines prepared by the secretariat, providing advice and direction as required while having regard to any guideline methodology and drafting style agreed by the Council;
- supporting engagement with relevant stakeholders at all stages of the guideline development process; and
- overseeing the judicial and public consultation process, including the preparation of consultation documents and impact assessments.
The Committee will report regularly to the Council on the progress of guideline development, making recommendations and, where appropriate, referring significant or potentially controversial decisions to the Council.
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The Rt Hon Lord Turnbull
Committee Chair
Lord Turnbull is the Council's senator (High Court) member.
Lord Turnbull is a High Court judge. He was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Courts in 2006 and was appointed to the Inner House of the Court of Session on 1 September, 2016. Prior to his appointment to the Inner House, he was the Lead Preliminary Hearings Judge and Administrative Judge for First Instance Criminal Cases in the High Court.
He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1982 and was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1996. He was mainly instructed as defence counsel in criminal cases until serving as an Advocate Depute from 1995 and as Principal Advocate Depute from 2001. He was one of two senior crown counsel in the Lockerbie bombing trial.
Lord Turnbull was a judicial member of the Parole Board for Scotland from 2011-2015.
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Krista Johnston
Committee member
Krista is the Scottish Sentencing Council's solicitor member
Krista Johnston is a graduate of law from Edinburgh University. She joined More and Co, Dunfermline, in 1992, specialising in criminal defence work. Along with others she founded the firm of Martin, Johnston and Socha in 1998. Her firm continues to concentrate exclusively on criminal defence work and has expanded to include offices in Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy and Alloa.
In 2007 Krista became a solicitor advocate in the field of crime and has since enjoyed instruction from a number of solicitor firms across Scotland. She appears regularly in the High Court conducting criminal trials, and also appears in the appellate courts.
Krista is a member of the Society of Solicitor Advocates and Fortis Chambers.
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Sue Moody
Committee member
Sue is the Council's victims expert.
Sue Moody has worked with and for survivors of crime for more than 30 years. She was the first Director of Victim Support Scotland and also the first Director of Victim Information and Advice (part of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service). As senior lecturer in the Law Faculty at Dundee University she undertook research on crime victims. Her most recent post before retirement in March 2015 was with the Survivor Scotland team at the Scottish Government, supporting survivors of abuse in care as children.
Sue is currently a board member of the Howard League Scotland. She also chairs a new charitable trust, McManus 168, promoting the work of the McManus Art Gallery and Museum in Dundee.
