On 1st September 2008 a consultation document was launched by the Scottish Government:
"SENTENCING GUIDELINES AND A SCOTTISH SENTENCING COUNCIL,
CONSULTATION AND PROPOSALS"
How did I find out about it? It was pure luck. Some time ago I decided to subscribe to the weekly round up of the SG consultations that comes by email. I do read this each week, and there it was, glaring out at me at the very time one of the most devious, dangerous and unrepentant men in Scotland was to be released from prison after just over 7 years inside for the most horrendous crimes and showing a complete abuse of power.
This consultation process – is it advertised other than online? If people who might well wish to comment are not Internet users then how do they find out what is up for consultation? Even if you are an Internet user, will you find this document easily? I think not. This is really important information that might well make such a difference in the most serious criminal cases. I asked Marcello Mega my journalist friend about it. He didn’t know this particular consultation process was ongoing. That only showed me how badly advertised these critical documents are advertised.
So what about the SG consultation process I ask myself? How can the population consult these guidelines and proposals in the documents and make responses by the cut off date if they don’t even know they exist? Is that right? Does it just pay lip service to the notion of real participation in a democracy?
I had an example quoted to me when one such document was spoken about after the consultation process. A journalist asked the Justice Minister, “and how many people responded to the consultation process.” Apparently the Minister said he didn’t know, looked to his civil servant aid. She procrastinated a fair bit, didn’t want to give an exact figure but said, “but it was advertised on our website on the Internet.” That is not a consultation process in my book. It’s more like a chance encounter.
So now you do know about this. The cut off date for responses for this particular consulation is 21st November 2008. The whole document and details of how you can respond is in .pdf format, available for you to read online and can be found at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Consultations/Current
There it sits with many more interesting subjects that are currently “out for the consultation process.” I’d be most interested to know the average number of responses to any of these consultation documents from the general public who, after all are served by government.
I shall not only be making a submission in response by 21/11/08 but I shall also let my MSP know that this seems a very unfair way of making the electorate aware of how to have a say in what happens in critically important issues in society.
Tuesday 23 September 2008
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8 comments:
This is very interesting indeed. I'll go and check it out.
Eryl X
I had no idea that these things were even in existence. No wonder they don't get many comments and probably not many sensible changes from people like you and other victims either? I don't know what I thought, but thanks for making me aware of it. I'll have a look see. Dee
Jane I think you're amazing and very courageous. Well done to you! I hope to add my bit to the consultation. it really isn't proper consultation is it?
Keep your chin up in the dark times. I'm sure you must have them, but never doubt yourself. You're an inspiration to other women. Good on ya!
Just wanted you to know that I think that I think you are an inspiration to us all. It needs people like you who are not afraid to stand up and point out the injustices in our legal system and the abuses carried out by monsters like Carruthers who use their status and uniform to hide their crimes.
Stevie
Thanks so much for the support with these issues. I really do hope that this campaign will get somewhere and positive changes will result.
To have the support of another man is heartening too as sometimes you think this is a man vs. woman issue .....which it most certainly isn't. Men can also be victims of serious sexual crimes and as hard as I've found it, I can only imagine that it must be so much harder for men to cope with the system.
Any male support is extremely valuable and especially when men are very much part of our justice system. Stevie thanks so much for your kind words. I hope you feel able to say something to your MSP about these issues - even a phone call or an email would be helpful.
Jane
Probably more people now know about these documents would ever have been the case without your blog. You're certainly doing your bit. It's a shame those in power can't do theirs more effectively - or should I say responsibly?
Thanks for your comment Leigh. I really do hope that the blog is helping to spread the word about the many issues involved and to help change some of the injustices that currently exist for those who are victims of serious crime and for the victims of future crimes.
Jane
You may be interested in the replies I receive to two written questions I've put to Ministers today which I think are pertinent to the Carruthers case:
"To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that all sex offenders in Scottish Prisons who have been convicted of serious offences such as rape and involved in programmes which address their offending behaviour.
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take action to ensure that sex offenders who have been convicted of serious offences such as rape and who have failed to participate in programmes which address their offending behaviour are not released into the community without completing their entire sentence in prison. "
If a serious sex offender doesn't face up to their behaviour and take part in programmes to address their behaviour, they be required to serve their entire sentence in prison - just my own opinion.
Elaine Murray MSP for Dumfries constituency
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