Victims and Scottish criminal justice

Concern has been expressed about the dangers of according victims of crime greater rights within criminal justice. Criticisms come both from those jurisdictions (such as the United States) which have given victims specific rights and from jurisdictions like our own where victims have no such rights. At the same time, government policy in the United Kingdom has made the protection of the public and the needs of victims the top priorities in the "fight against crime". This paper considers key issues about the victim in Scottish criminal justice and looks paricularly at two recent proposals, for informing the complainer about the granting or refusal of bail and for involving the victim in sentencing