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Committee On Criminal Procedure

Volume 897: debated on Thursday 7 August 1975

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asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has received the main Report of the Committee on Criminal Procedure.

The Committee on Criminal Procedure under the chairmanship of Lord Thomson was appointed in January 1970 with the following terms of reference:

"To examine trial and pre-trial procedures in Scotland (including appeal procedure) for the prosecution of persons accused of crimes and offences; and to report whether, having regard to the prevention of crime on the one hand and to the need for fairness to accused persons on the other, any changes in law or practice are required."
An interim report on criminal appeals was presented to Parliament by the then Secretary of State and published in August 1972. The main report, which covers all stages of criminal procedure from pre-trial proceedings through to trial, has now been submitted to my right hon. and learned Friend the Lord Advocate and me by Lord Thomson on behalf of the committee. We should like to express our thanks to the committee for the work it has done. The report is being printed and I shall arrange for it to be presented to Parliament and published as soon as possible.