News

It is with great sadness that we learned today of the tragic passing of our former member Stephen O’Rourke QC. Stephen served on the Council between 2015 and 2019, assisting in particular with the Council’s development of Scotland’s first sentencing guidelines and helping to set the foundations of all its future work. His contributions to our discussions were always thoughtful, measured and to the point. Stephen was a highly valued and much liked colleague and friend. He will be deeply missed.

The Scottish Sentencing Council, having completed a suite of general guidelines which apply to all offences in Scotland, is now moving to a new phase of work. In its 2021-24 Business Plan, published today, the Council announced that its focus will now turn to offence guidelines and confirmed its intention to prepare a sentencing guideline on domestic abuse offences.

Significant progress was made by the Scottish Sentencing Council in the development of sentencing guidelines in 2020-21 despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to its Chair, Lady Dorrian, the Lord Justice Clerk.

The High Court of Justiciary has today approved a new sentencing guideline developed by the Scottish Sentencing Council, which seeks to reduce reoffending among young people.

Drawing on research and engagement carried out with sentencers and others, the Scottish Sentencing Council has published a paper highlighting obstacles to the use of community sentences and suggesting a range of actions which might improve judicial confidence in their use.