SNP has no justification for Criminal Cases legislation

The Scottish Government has published the Criminal Cases (Punishment and Review) (Scotland) Bill. The bill seeks to resolve the sentencing anomaly which surrounds mandatory life sentences, and to try and force the disclosure of information relative to the Al-Megrahi case.

Scottish Conservative Justice Spokesman, David McLetchie MSP commenting on the resolution of the sentencing anomaly said:

"Courts in Scotland do not have the power to set Whole Life Tariffs as they do in England because of the way the European Convention on Human Rights applies to the sentencing power of our judges.

"Although the correction of this particular sentencing anomaly is welcome we should not pretend that this bill addresses the main issue. For the most heinous of crimes, life should mean life. It still does not."

When commenting on the Scottish Government's attempts to provide more transparency on the Al-Megrahi case, he said:

"The Scottish Government states that it 'does not doubt the safety of the conviction of Al-Megrahi'. That being the case it is difficult to see the justification for this legislation. If any information is to be released then it should be all the medical evidence as to why the SNP Government set a mass murderer free, something it has consistently refused to do."

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