The Scottish Parliament: - Committees

The remit of the committee is to consider and report on (a) the administration of criminal and civil justice, community safety, and other matters falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and (b) the functions of the Lord Advocate, other than as head of the systems of criminal prosecution and investigation of deaths in Scotland.

Membership

Bill Aitken (Convener)
Bill Butler (Deputy Convener)
Robert Brown
Cathie Craigie

Nigel Don
James Kelly
Stewart Maxwell
Dave Thompson

For further information on the Committee's current and past membership including substitutes, follow this link. Information on how to contact the Justice Committee can be found on the Contact Details page.

Current Business
Work Programme - Please follow the link to the Committee's provisional work programme. Legal Services (Scotland) Bill The Committee has completed Stage 2 consideration of the Legal Services (Scotland) Bill. Amendments may now be lodged for consideration at Stage 3. Further information on the Committee's scrutiny of the Bill can be found on the Legal Services (Scotland) Bill Committee page. Damages (Scotland) Bill The Committee has been designated as the lead committee at Stage 1 of the Damages (Scotland) Bill and has issued a call for written evidence. Submissions should be received no later than Tuesday 24 August 2010. Further information on the Committee's scrutiny of the Bill can be found on the Damages (Scotland) Bill Committee page. Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Bill The Committee has been dsignated as the lead committee at Stage 1 of the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Bill and has issued a call for written evidence. Submissions should be received no later than Friday 10 September 2010. Further information on the Committee's scrutiny of the Bill can be found on the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Bill Committee page. Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Bill The Committee has been designated as the lead committee at Stage 1 of the Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Bill and has issued a call for written evidence. Submissions should be received no later than Friday 24 September 2010. Further information can be found on the Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Bill Committee page. Criminal Sentencing (Equity Fines) (Scotland) Bill At its meeting on 15 June the Committee agreed to write to Bill Wilson MSP inviting his comments on the legislative competence of his Criminal Sentencing (Equity Fines) (Scotland) Bill. Further information can be found on the Current Business page.

Committee Meetings
View live committee meetings or view archived committee meetings Next Meeting: 23rd Meeting, Tuesday 7 September 2010 Papers 23 (203KB pdf first posted 03.09.2010) The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in Committee Room 2. 1. Subordinate legislation: The Committee will consider the following negative instruments— the Criminal Legal Aid (Fixed Payments) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2010 (SSI 2010/237); the Criminal Legal Aid (Fixed Payments) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 2010 (SSI 2010/267); the Grampian Joint Fire and Rescue Board (Specified Equipment) (Scotland) Order 2010 (SSI 2010/252). 2. European Commission Work Programme: The Committee will take evidence from— Michael Clancy, Director of Law Reform, the Law Society of Scotland; Julia Bateman, Head of the UK Law Societies Brussels Office; Ian Duncan, European Officer, the Scottish Parliament. The Committee will then decide whether to consider the main themes arising from the evidence session and identify any follow-up work in private at its next meeting. 3. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether its consideration of candidates for the post of adviser on the Scottish Government's draft budget 2011-12 should be taken in private at its next meeting. 4. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether to take items 7 and 8 in private and also whether any consideration of main themes arising from written and oral evidence received on the Damages (Scotland) Bill at Stage 1 should be taken in private at future meetings. 5. Members' Bills — witness expenses: The Committee will be invited to delegate to the Convener responsiblity for arranging for the SPCB to pay, under Rule 12.4.2, any expenses of witnesses on the Damages (Scotland) Bill, the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Bill, the Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Bill or the Criminal Sentencing (Equity Fines) (Scotland) Bill. 6. Damages (Scotland) Bill: The Committee will take evidence on the Bill at Stage 1 from— Graeme Garrett, Obligations Committee, Law Society of Scotland. 7. Damages (Scotland) Bill: The Committee will consider the written evidence received so far and decide whom to invite to give oral evidence at its meeting on 21 September 2010. 8. Damages (Scotland) Bill: The Committee will consider the main themes arising from the oral evidence heard earlier in the meeting. Last Meeting: 22nd Meeting, Tuesday 29 June 2010 Papers 22 (539KB pdf first posted 25.06.2010) Minute of Proceedings of Meeting 29 June 2010 Official Report of Meeting 29 June 2010 Previous Meetings

Committee Reports
Recent Committee Reports: 4 June 2010 11th Report 2010: Annual Report 2009-2010 2 June 2010 10th Report 2010: The draft Arbitration (Scotland) Act 2010 (Consequential Amendments) Order 2010 2 June 2010 9th Report 2010: The draft Advice and Assistance and Civil Legal Aid (Transfer of Tribunal Functions) (No. 2) (Scotland) Regulations 2010 21 April 2010 8th Report 2010: Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Powers of Entry etc. Bill (UK Parliament Legislation 14 April 2010 7th Report 2010:Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Amendment) Bill 25 March 2010 6th Report 2010: The draft International Organisations (Immunities and Privileges) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2010 Previous Reports