Scottish Sentencing Council invites applications for advocate member position

12 August 2019

Applications are now being invited to fill the advocate member position on the Scottish Sentencing Council.

The Council was established in 2015 to promote consistency and transparency in sentencing practice, assist in developing sentencing policy, and promote a better understanding of sentencing across Scotland.

By law, one of the Council’s members must be an advocate practising in Scotland. The term of the present advocate member of the Council will end in October of this year.

Writing about his time on the Council, current advocate member Stephen O’Rourke QC said:

“It is hard to believe that 4 years have now passed since I joined the Scottish Sentencing Council at its inception. It has been a fascinating and rewarding experience. I would thoroughly recommend the work of the Council to any advocate with an interest in Scotland’s criminal justice system and would be happy to speak with anyone reading this and thinking of applying.”

The Council’s current priorities are set out in its business plan for 2018-21, and the new member will have the opportunity to contribute to the development of guidelines relating to the sentencing of young people, causing death by driving, and sexual offences (with an initial focus on indecent images, rape, and sexual assault).

Successful candidates will meet certain criteria in the following areas:

• legal knowledge and skills;
• understanding of sentencing policy and practice and the criminal justice system;
• understanding of the impacts of sentencing; and
• certain specified personal qualities.

For more information and to download an application form please go to https://www.scottishsentencingcouncil.org.uk/about-us/recruitment.