Community Justice Bill given final approval

Holyrood has passed the bill to reform the community justice system in Scotland.

MSPs gave cross party approval following the stage 3 debate to the Community Justice (Scotland) Bill, which enacts a new decentralised model which will support increased use of community sentences and a reduction in the use of short prison sentences.

While the bill gives responsibility for planning and monitoring community justice services to local partners, it also creates a national body to set standards, promote innovation and monitor consistency of practice across the country.

The bill underwent substantial change during its passage, having been criticised at the outset for a confusing and inconsistent approach.

Concerns are still voiced by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities over alleged weaknesses in the bill, along with a lack of resources to support its implementation, expressing fears that the £1.6m of transitional funding promised between now and 2017-18 will be inadequate.

Minister for Community Justice and Legal Affairs, Paul Wheelhouse, said: "With this bill, which has received broad support across the chamber, we make clear our commitment to reducing reoffending and the harm it causes to individuals, families and communities.

“Our vision for a fairer justice system in Scotland reflects the values of a modern progressive nation. We are working towards a position where prison sentences, and particularly short term sentences, could be used less frequently, with a stronger emphasis on effective community sentences to address the underlying causes of offending and being able to demonstrate their effectiveness to communities."