I have long admired the Scottish legal system.
On the whole it runs smoothly, efficiently and justice is dispensed in a timely manner. Notwithstanding their recent misjudgement on the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, the Scots legal system is the envy of many nations. Principal of these are England and Wales, where the sluggish and half-hearted approach to offender management is nothing short of a joke.
I read today that Glasgow Sheriff Court is running a pilot scheme, whereby low-level offenders are sentenced to hard labour in community payback squads. So far this winter more than 33,000 hours of snow clearance has been paid back to Scottish society by people unable to adhere to the rule of law.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: "We want to see low-level offenders out paying back communities by doing some tough manual labour.
"Whether it is cleaning streets of graffiti, renovating elderly care homes, restoring fallen gravestones or - as we saw during the recent severe weather conditions - helping to clear pavements of snow, these offenders should be repaying their dues to communities they have harmed."
A brilliant move by Scotland, and one that England and Wales would do well to emulate in these most austere of times.
For maximal deterrence justice must be seen to be done and I can't think of any better way of achieving that aim.
On the whole it runs smoothly, efficiently and justice is dispensed in a timely manner. Notwithstanding their recent misjudgement on the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, the Scots legal system is the envy of many nations. Principal of these are England and Wales, where the sluggish and half-hearted approach to offender management is nothing short of a joke.
I read today that Glasgow Sheriff Court is running a pilot scheme, whereby low-level offenders are sentenced to hard labour in community payback squads. So far this winter more than 33,000 hours of snow clearance has been paid back to Scottish society by people unable to adhere to the rule of law.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: "We want to see low-level offenders out paying back communities by doing some tough manual labour.
"Whether it is cleaning streets of graffiti, renovating elderly care homes, restoring fallen gravestones or - as we saw during the recent severe weather conditions - helping to clear pavements of snow, these offenders should be repaying their dues to communities they have harmed."
A brilliant move by Scotland, and one that England and Wales would do well to emulate in these most austere of times.
For maximal deterrence justice must be seen to be done and I can't think of any better way of achieving that aim.
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