Swinney confident proposed new law will meet the needs of victims

Scotland’s First Minister has said he is “confident” a Bill due to face a final vote this week will support victims.

The Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill is expected to go before MSPs for a mammoth session of amendments on Tuesday before a final decision is made.

If passed, the new law would scrap the not proven verdict, create a victims commissioner and ensure killers would not be released from prison if they refused to divulge where their victim’s body was – a proposal named Suzanne’s Law.

Ahead of the final vote, opposition parties have urged the Government to accept amendments to strengthen the Bill, including calling for victims to be given the right to make a statement in court and to be notified if someone is not being prosecuted in their case.

The Tories have also urged the First Minister to launch a Scotland-only grooming gangs inquiry.

Speaking to the PA news agency on Monday, John Swinney said the Bill would benefit victims.

“I am confident that the Bill will meet the needs of victims,” he said.

“That’s obviously a test that Parliament has got to apply to it and that case will be made powerfully by the Justice Secretary tomorrow.

“But having listened to the evidence, made the changes that are required, I’m confident that the Bill meets the test that has been applied in relation to the position of victims.”

The First Minister was a backbench MSP sitting on Holyrood’s Criminal Justice Committee when the Bill was first introduced and he has said he took the top job knowing changes had to be made the legislation.

As a result, the Government dropped the most controversial part of the Bill, which would have created separate courts for sex crimes without a jury.

“I listened with care when I had my year on the back benches to all of the evidence that was given on this particular Bill,” he said.

“I heard evidence which persuaded me that the Government needed to change its stance, which it did in relation to the Bill that is now before Parliament.

“As a consequence, I think we’ve ended up with a Bill which entrenches the role of victims within our criminal justice system, provides them with evermore protection and provides better support for victims.”