As prisons across the country release offenders early to deal with overcrowding, political space is opening up for a debate about crime and punishment. Sentencing is in the spotlight, as Ministry of ...

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Plans to introduce a presumption against short-term jail sentences of up to one year have been signed off by MSPs. Judges in Scottish courts have been instructed since 2011 not to impose a prison ...

JUDGE Lord Turnbull raised serious concerns about the Scottish Government’s plans to extend the presumption against short sentences from three months to 12 yesterday. The judge, who serves on the ...

Proposals to restrict the use of short prison sentences have been published by the Scottish government. If passed by MSPs at Holyrood, it will oblige courts to explain why custodial terms of less than ...

Thousands of criminals including some convicted of attempted murder or sex offences could avoid jail under controversial sentencing rules approved by MSPs, the Tories have warned. The Scottish ...