140-day rule: Howard League Scotland says remand figures ‘cause for concern’

Speaking to Scottish Legal News, Lisa Mackenzie, policy and public affairs adviser said that remand prisoners constitute a fifth of Scotland’s prison population and that its remand imprisonment rate is the highest of all three UK jurisdictions.

She added: “This should give us cause for concern. We should be limiting our use of prison for those on remand. After all, our justice system is premised on a presumption of innocence.

“We would like to see greater use of alternatives to remand, such as supervised bail.

“Alarmingly, just eight people were placed on supervised bail in the whole of Glasgow in the year 2013/14.

“Even a short period of remand can have ruinous consequences on people’s lives, which is why we should seek to use it sparingly.”

Remand statistics:

• 951 in 2000
• 1,565 in 2015
• Increase of 65 per cent

(Source: International Centre for Prison Studies)

Meanwhile, Labour justice spokesman, Graeme Pearson told SLN: “The pressures on our Prison population are often attributed to the sheer numbers of prisoners held on remand.  The fact that the 140 day rule is regularly abused in this fashion should be a concern to all right thinking people. 

“Accused persons held in custody awaiting trial should be processed as a matter of priority.  Only in exceptional circumstances should it be necessary for someone to remain in custody longer than 140 days and weight of work should never be an excuse.”