Scots prosecutor attends ‘inspiring’ programme in US

Mr McDonald was selected by the NAAG (National Association of Attorneys General) to join 19 delegates from around the world on the International Fellows Programme.

The topic for the seven-day programme was “Prosecutorial and Preventative Strategies to Combat Sexual and Domestic Violence” and participants came from as far afield as Argentina, Australia, South Korea, and Zambia.

Mr McDonald, who has worked for COPFS for 16 years, has extensive experience in prosecuting serious sexual offences and domestic abuse and was keen to expand his knowledge with the experiences of other jurisdictions.

His application for the 2020 programme run by NAGTRI (National Attorneys General Training and Research Institute) was successful – but restrictions of the pandemic meant attendance was delayed by two years.

He finally flew out to Washington DC last month and was able to meet with officials at the US Capitol and Supreme Court. He is now back in Scotland, inspired by what he learned and brimming with ideas.

He said: “The opportunity to freely discuss common problems and issues faced by prosecutors from around the world was invaluable. One particularly powerful moment came from a survivor of significant sexual abuse and violence when she addressed all the international prosecutors. She said to us: ‘Don’t underestimate the power you have to change the trajectory of someone’s life.’”

He found that fellow delegates were keen to learn about Scotland’s forward-thinking approach to crimes of domestic abuse, particularly in the prosecution of coercive and controlling behaviour.

Mr McDonald added: “There are a lot of things we do very well here. Our innovative domestic abuse law criminalises patterns of abusive behaviour, like coercive control. This is acknowledged as the ‘gold standard’ at an international level. We have a very robust approach, safeguarding victims and witnesses while working for justice.

“But I have brought back to Scotland the experience of other jurisdictions, which I’m now able to share with my colleagues in COPFS. We can consider any which could be used to improve our service.”

He also relished the chance to learn about measures used successfully in other countries, including an innovative electronic ‘tagging’ system in Spain, and the utilisation of social media accounts as point-of-contact in the US.

The prosecutor said: “From discussion with the directing staff at NAGTRI, I understand that representatives from England have previously attended the program but that this was the first time they have hosted a participant from Scotland.

“Given the incredibly positive and useful experience I gained from my own attendance, I would encourage other prosecutors to consider applying for the 2023 NAGTRI International Fellows Program.”