Independent legal representation for complainers in sexual offence trials: research report for Rape Crisis Scotland

RCS commissioned this research against a backdrop where there have been long standing concerns about the response of the Scottish legal system to complainers of sexual offences. Women in contact with rape crisis centres do not speak highly of their experience of the justice process. Particular difficulties arise in relation to their status as a witness of the crime perpetrated against them, and the role of the Crown Office in acting in the public interest: women consistently tell rape crisis that they feel throughout the process that there is no one representing their interests. This report considers the features of Scottish criminal procedure and evidence that exacerbate the problems currently facing complainers and that shape the response the criminal justice system can currently make. It explores how independent legal representation operates in other jurisdictions and considers the feasibility of its introduction in Scotland