Professor Nancy Lombard

The Scottish Sentencing Council has commissioned Professor Nancy Lombard, a professor in sociology and social policy at Glasgow Caledonian University, to carry out the research.

She will hold focus groups and interviews with survivors and work alongside criminal justice system partners, community safety groups, and third-sector organisations on the project.

The study will hear first-hand about the effect sentencing had on survivors and their perceptions of the justice system.

The project will result in a better understanding of how survivors view the sentencing of domestic abuse cases and contribute to the Council’s work on developing a domestic abuse sentencing guideline.

Commenting on her appointment, Professor Lombard said: “We are aiming to understand what effective sentencing policy and practice responses look like from the perspective of women navigating the criminal justice system.”

Professor Lombard recently completed a Scottish Government-funded study of women’s lived experiences of the criminal justice system.