Matthew McGovern Scottish Solicitors Bar Association ScotGov Justice There is no justice without a defence

This is a decision Scottish Solicitors Bar Association have reached reluctantly but ScotGov Justice’s inaction over the last 2 years has provoked our action. To quote Aamer Anwar✊🏾🏳️‍🌈#BlackLivesMatter, “there is no justice with a defence”. Mind boggling that ScotGov Justice still don’t acknowledge this reality.

A brilliant appointment. Delighted that Tracey has agreed to serve.

The SSBA are fully in support of this. For too long the home lives of our members have been ignored for no tangible benefit. We raised this issue with SCTS last September, maybe they will finally get round to dealing with it.

There is a further irony about John Swinney’s new found concern for due process: he was a member of the cabinet that approved the juryless trials bill. He then joined Criminal Justice Committee when it was scrutinising that same bill. Where was the concern for pre-judging the outcome then?

.John Swinney’s support for due process would have more credibility if his government wasn’t trying to remove citizen’s right to a trial by jury in a partisan attempt to boost conviction rates. To quote Mr Swinney at #fmqs , do unto others as you would have done unto yourself.

“People are tired of two bickering governments more concerned with themselves than with the people they claim to serve”. Couldn’t have put it better myself- the country is crying out for change. Good luck to Douglas McAllister 🌹.

Evergreen tweet about @scotgovjustice

.ScotGov Justice’s complacency has came back to bite them. This was an impending crisis in April 2020. Why such inaction until May 2024? The conditions in prison are appalling and some of the most vulnerable members of society have paid the price with their lives.

TOE has often championed issues that the Scottish establishment has chosen to ignore. It is also becoming a podcast for interviews with, amongst others, a former FM, a likely future FM and one of the most impressive MSPs of the devolution era in Andy Wightman. Check it out.