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Outreach Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service “Equality for All” Newsletter Outreach Outreach Vol. 11 2012 11 Vol. Outreach Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service “Equality for All” Newsletter Outreach Outreach Welcome to Outreach, the Crown Office addition to our other communication, and • suggestions for items for future and Procurator Fiscal editions Service ‘Equality for All’ Contact: Ruth McQuaid, COPFS Diversity Champion - [email protected] newsletter The aim of this newsletter is to inform communities across Scotland of the work of Crown Office and Procurator Our role Fiscal Service (COPFS) as we endeavour The role of COPFS is: to fulfil our commitment to equality and • to investigate, prosecute and disrupt diversity and to the implementation of crime the Equality Act 2010. • to seize the proceeds of crime • to investigate deaths that require We hope that you will find the newsletter explanation interesting, informative and provide you We work closely with our partners in the with an insight into COPFS as we work in criminal justice system to help make partnership with others to eradicate bigotry Scotland a safer place. and prejudice from Scotland. www.copfs.gov.uk This newsletter is a pilot which we are considering as a method of improving communication with communities. We are planning to issue it every 6 months and The Act would really appreciate your feedback on: The Equality Act 2010 Act introduced a new • this edition public sector general duty which became • whether you think it would be a useful law in Scotland and requires Scottish public authorities to pay “due regard” to: Contents • eliminate discrimination, victimisation, harassment or other unlawful conduct that is Diversity 4 prohibited under the Act; Domestic Abuse 6 • advance equality of opportunity Hate Crime 7 between people who share a characteristic Working Together 10 and those who do not; Raising Awareness 11 • foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not. 2 | November 2012 11 2012 11 Spring 2012 Vol. 1 Vol. Vol.1 Our Commitment ‘Outreach’ is one of a number of Equality Act 2010 activities by the COPFS. COPFS appointed Ruth McQuaid in 2011 as our Equality Champion and she will oversee a project team (pictured below) which will deliver a variety of projects to meet our statutory equality duties. Ruth (seated 2nd from right) is the Deputy Head of the COPFS North Federation. In April 2015 COPFS will have to provide evidence of what we have achieved in delivering our Equality Act objectives. November 2012 | 3 Outreach Diversity Outstanding work COPFS were named the top performing public sector organisation in Scotland and the 5th top Scottish employer in the Stonewall Top 100 Employer’s list. COPFS were named joint 71st which recognises our efforts to engage more with LGBT employees and the wider LGBT community. At the end of last year representatives from COPFS attended the annual Stonewall Workplace Conference. This gave them the opportunity to network with staff from both public and private sector organisations and also to gain insight into current LGBT issues in the workplace. The Lord Advocate, Frank Mulholland QC, also met with Colin Macfarlane, the Director of Stonewall Scotland and members of the ‘PROUD in COPFS’ group who provided an update about their work with the LGBT community. We look forward to continuing to work with Colin Macfarlane and his team. The Lord Advocate said there was an excellent working relationship with Stonewall Scotland while the Director of Stonewall Scotland described the COPFS staff proudly show off their LGBT work being done by COPFS as “outstanding”. Stonewall award COPFS Equality Champion, Ruth McQuaid, was interviewed by Alan Russell for Insight Radio, which is owned by the RNIB and broadcasts for blind and visually impaired listeners. Ruth answered questions on the history of COPFS and our role as Scotland’s only prosecution authority. Listeners can tune into Insight Radio on 101FM in the Glasgow area, on Freesat Channel 777 and Sky Digital Channel 0188 The Insight Radio website can be found at: http://www.insightradio.co.uk/ 4 | November 2012 11 2012 11 Vol. 1 Vol. COPFS is committed to working alongside the Stop the stigma “see me” campaign “see me” is Scotland’s national campaign to end the stigma and discrimination of mental ill-health. They are an alliance of five mental health organisations and are fully funded by the Scottish Government. One in four of the general population of Scotland will experience a mental health problem at some time in their lives. Three quarters of us know someone with a mental health problem. Catherine Dyer who is the Crown Agent and Chief Executive of COPFS has signed the “see me” pledge on behalf of COPFS. COPFS is committed to working alongside the “see me” campaign, and have agreed an action plan to end the stigma and discrimination experienced by people with mental health problems. Our “see me” Action Plan has been shared with all COPFS staff and our pledge made public by displaying our Action Plan in all public areas of our offices across Scotland. Suzie Vestrie, See Me Campaign Director and Catherine Dyer, Crown Agent For more information on See Me visit their website at: www.seemescotland.org The COPFS Selkirk office co-hosted a Mental Health Awareness session with the Local Faculty of Solicitors at the end of last year. A member of the “See Me” campaign provided information on the campaign. One of their volunteers spoke from personal experience about her mental health condition and a local practitioner gave an outline of mental health law. In addition to staff from the PF office, the event was attended by defence solicitors, police, solicitors from the local Council and sheriff clerks. November 2012 | 5 Outreach Domestic Abuse Ending corroboration Specialist courts “An accused’s guilt should not founder on the basis Domestic abuse courts are currently of an antiquated technical being piloted in Edinburgh and Livingston. The specialist courts aim to requirement.”: Solicitor General improve the way in which allegations of domestic abuse are dealt with in the criminal justice system. Removing the requirement for corroboration in Scots law could help to At Edinburgh Sheriff Court specialist protect the rights of victims of domestic prosecutors, police liaison officers, advocacy abuse. Speaking at the Domestic Abuse workers and Sheriffs have come together to in Scotland conference in June this year, deal with all domestic abuse prosecutions for Solicitor General, Lesley Thomson QC, said the south and east of the city. prosecutors have a robust prosecution policy All domestic abuse offences from – but corroboration often proves a real December last year are being dealt with by obstacle in bringing domestic abuse cases this new multi-agency approach. to court. She said: “It is right that those The new specialist court will mean better accused of committing crimes are entitled provision for victims, who will be offered to a fair and just trial. But victims and support from specialist agencies with witnesses have rights too – rights which are expertise in domestic abuse. just as important…an accused’s guilt should In particular, Edinburgh Domestic Abuse not founder on the basis of an antiquated Court Service (EDDACS) will be available to technical requirement.” Corroboration is one assist female victims throughout the criminal of the areas of Scots law highlighted for process, while male victims will be offered potential reform by recent review of criminal support from ASSIST (Advocacy Support law and practice by Lord Carloway. Safety Information Services Together). The support workers will also act as a link to the police, prosecution and other services throughout the process. The pilot schemes will build on the success of specialist response models to domestic abuse already operating in Glasgow and Dunfermline. Across the country COPFS and other criminal justice stakeholders are working together to challenge domestic abuse by implementing the best practices identified in the Scottish Government Domestic Abuse Toolkit. The COPFS dedicated Victim Information and Advice Service continues to provide information to all victims of domestic abuse and signpost them to relevant agencies. “specialist court will mean better provision for victims” 6 | November 2012 11 2012 11 Vol. 1 Vol. Improving service Hate Crime Tackling prejudice The Lord Advocate, Frank Mulholland QC and Steve Allen, Deputy Chief Constable of Lothian and Borders The Solicitor General, Lesley Thomson Police jointly hosted the 2012 Biennial QC renewed her commitment to conference on Hate Crime. improve the service COPFS provides to Roseanna Cunningham gave the keynote victims of domestic abuse and sexual speech at the conference which marked offences and to ensuring that we play the second anniversary of the Offences our part in working towards making (Aggravation by Prejudice) (Scotland) Act Scotland a safe place to live. 2009 which extended existing statutory She made the pledge to an audience aggravations for race and religion to at the Engender conference celebrating cover offences motivated by prejudice in International Women’s Day earlier this year. relation to disability, sexual orientation and She spoke of the many improvements in transgender identity. the legal position for women but cautioned The overall theme of the conference against complacency as there were still was ‘The Challenge of Tackling Prejudice’ challenges to overcome. and coincided with the introduction of new legislation in March this year to address offensive behaviour at and around football matches as well as extending the laws to prosecute threatening online communications. Staff across Argyll and Clyde The conference sought to raise awareness supported the White Ribbon that both the police and prosecutors are working to change the culture of prejudice Campaigns 16 days of Action and hatred that exists in some quarters and against violence to women and that people who commit these crimes will be brought to justice.
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