SNP must heed genuinely frightening warnings about violence, sex and the rule of law in Scotland
The preservation of law and order requires standards of behaviour to be enforced from an early age and a justice system that creates an effective deterrent
As the SNP fiddles with expensive gimmicks like giving free but unwanted school bags to the children of wealthy parents, Scotland burns. Hot on the heels of figures showing the further decline of education in this country – not to mention the latest in the ongoing litany of bad news about the NHS – come a string of warnings about our justice system.
According to the Senators of the College of Justice, accelerating the automatic early release of prisoners – in an attempt to relieve overcrowding in prisons – could result in a “reduction in both public confidence in the courts and respect for the rule of law” with adverse effects on public safety.
Malcolm Graham, chief executive of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, also warned of “unconscionable” delays to cases in the High Court unless urgent action is taken. Victims of serious crimes like murder and rape face waiting up to four years for justice, which could, Graham said, “ultimately, potentially undermine the rule of law in the country”.
READ MORE: Amid soaring levels of male violence, SNP must ditch its unconscionable early release plan
And Tony Lenehan, vice dean of the Faculty of Advocates, spoke of the need for better understanding of the “violent pornography” being watched by teenagers – many of whom have “distressingly” developed “an entrenched pattern of abusive and sexually abusive behaviour”. It is a problem that likely helps explain the shocking levels of violence and misogynistic abuse towards female teachers.
Taken altogether, this paints an appalling picture of young men being raised to think they can openly flout authority and that sexual abuse and violence is somehow normal. On committing a crime, they may find they wait years to be punished – if they are convicted in the first place, which given pitiful conviction rates is far from certain.
The preservation of law and order should be a given. This requires standards of behaviour to be set and enforced from an early age, both at home and in school, and a justice system that deals with cases promptly and in a way that creates an effective deterrent to others.
Without this, Scotland risks a descent into an utterly unjust, intolerable and genuinely frightening state of affairs.