Vulnerable Witnesses (Criminal Evidence) (Scotland) Bill

A Bill for an Act of the Scottish Parliament to make provision about the use of special measures for the purpose of taking the evidence of child witnesses and other vulnerable witnesses in criminal proceedings; to make provision about the procedure relating to taking evidence by commissioner; to make provision about the procedure for authorisation of standard special measures; and for connected purposes.

• Read the Bill and accompanying documents

Current status of the Bill

This Scottish Government Bill was introduced by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Michael Matheson, on 12 June 2018. 

Stage 1

The Justice Committee was designated the lead committee for Stage 1 scrutiny.

Evidence

The Committee launched a call for views on Wednesday 4 July 2018. The deadline for responses was Wednesday 29 August 2018.

• Read the call for written evidence
• Read the written submissions

The Committee began taking oral evidence on the Bill on 20 November 2018.

• Read the Meeting Papers and Official Reports

Correspondence

• Letter from the Scottish Government's Bill Team to the Convener (3 December 2018) (229KB pdf)
• Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Justice to the Convener (12 December 2018) (235KB pdf)
• Letter from the Lord Justice Clerk to the Convener (8 March 2019) (170KB pdf)
• Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Justice to the Convener (2 April 2019) (229KB pdf)
• Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Justice to the Convener (30 April 2019) (658KB pdf)

Report

The Committee published its Stage 1 report to the Parliament on 24 January 2019.

• Justice Committee, 1st Report, 2019 (Session 5): Stage 1 Report on the Vulnerable Witnesses (Criminal Evidence) (Scotland) Bill  
• Response from the Scottish Government to the Committee's Stage 1 Report (429KB pdf) 
• Response from the Lord Advocate to the Committee's Stage 1 Report (1216KB pdf)