Scottish Government give £3million to tackle sectarianism blight in communities

A range of projects aimed at tackling sectarianism in communities across Scotland were today given funding totalling more than £3 million.

The funding has been allocated following a robust assessment process supported by the independent expert group set up to look at sectarian issues in Scotland.

A Small Grants Fund has also been established to distribute £350,000 over the next two years to small scale and one-off projects in areas across Scotland.

A total of 18 organisations will receive funding include the Conforti Institute, Sense Over Sectarianism, Place for Hope and the Scottish Book Trust.

The Advisory Group on Tackling Sectarianism in Scotland was established in August 2012 and tasked with a range of work to inform policy on sectarianism. It has now had its work extended until September this year, after which it will present its final report to ministers. Part of the work of the group is about building a better evidence base to give Ministers robust and informed advice on the nature, extent and impact of sectarianism in Scotland.

Minister for Community Safety Roseanna Cunningham said: “We are determined to create a Scotland which is not weighed down by the prejudices of the past.

“Today’s announcement backs up our commitment to a community-based approach to tackling sectarianism. We believe that the direct involvement of communities is central to making our communities safer places to live.

“It is significant that for the first time that decisions about who should receive funding have been informed by the Advisory Group on Tackling Sectarianism in Scotland, which has helped to set clear criteria and outcomes which all projects will need to meet to be eligible for funding.

“The group evaluated all of the projects which were funded last year to give us clear and decisive advice on the way forward.

“That advice told us that we needed to build on the community-based work delivered last year, and make sure that all of our new projects will clearly deliver change for the communities they are working with.

“Funding community projects is part of a long-term strategy to deliver a fundamental culture shift within Scottish society to ensure sectarianism does not form the basis for any way of thinking or working.”

In 2012/13, the Scottish Government funded 37 projects across the country which engaged 13,000 children and young people and 2,000 adults in work to tackle sectarianism.

Ms Cunningham made the funding announcement at a visit to meet representatives from a range of organisations which have been awarded funding. 

All of the projects that received funding will be subject to robust monitoring procedures to ensure that their work is on track, and robust evaluation to measure the impact that their project has had, and the difference that it has made in communities.

Dr Duncan Morrow, chair of the Advisory Group, said: “It is good to see that the advice of the Advisory Group on Tackling Sectarianism in Scotland is being turned into action.  The 18 projects being announced today are a positive first step in the right direction, and one that will help to improve the lives of many communities across Scotland.  Tackling sectarianism is a long-term process and I fully recognise that there is still much to be done.  As a group we look forward to engaging with these projects – and with those in future funding rounds – to look at the impact they are having and how we can build on this as part of a long term approach to tackling the root causes of sectarianism in Scotland.”

List of projects receiving funding

Brora Learning Centre – High Life Highland: £160,392

Enabling communities in rural Highlands to engage on the issue of sectarianism, creatively and sustainably.

Central Scotland Regional Equality Council (CSREC): £99,851

Raising awareness, supporting community to develop interventions.

Community Links – South Lanarkshire: £134,357

Exploring sectarianism online and the Larkhall community,  providing information and education for social media users and engaging adults in community learning.

The Conforti Institute: £205,856

Deliver work with the Catholic community and joint activity with agencies from other Christian religions.

Deaf Connections: £98,170

Creating a holistic service for deaf people in Glasgow and the West of Scotland.

Glasgow Women’s Library: £138,943

Exploring and documenting sectarianism as it affects Scottish women – support women in developing the confidence to tackle sectarianism.

Inverclyde Community Development Trust: £119,188

Tackling sectarianism in through creative projects, partnership working, intergenerational work dialogue.

North Glasgow Football Development Group (NGFDG): £58,252

Work with the local North West Glasgow community and local agencies to implement an education and sporting anti-sectarian programme for P5-P7 – S1-S2 and 16-24 year olds.

Parkhead Youth Project (PYP): £91,245

Street work and peer education with young people.

Place for Hope: £208,406

Helping communities tackle sectarianism through dialogue.

Sacro: £195,500

Behavioural and attitudinal change programme in relation to sectarianism offences.

Scottish Books Trust: £152,190

Engaging participants with literacy needs – increasing understanding of sectarianism, improving reading ability, confidence and communication skills.

Scottish Marriage Care: £274,273

Delivering group work to young parents and prospective young parents to raise the awareness of sectarian behaviour within families and communities.

Sense Over Sectarianism (SOS): £421,397

Supporting communities to challenge and change the attitudes, values and behaviours that perpetuate sectarianism and create divisions

Shotts Healthy Living: £54,434

Raising awareness, building relationships of different sections and age groups to develop a sense of togetherness.

West of Scotland Regional Equality Council (WSREC): £108,000

Understanding how the family influences sectarian attitudes and behaviours across generations.

Yip world: £50,783

Exploring how historical beliefs that can lead to discrimination, prejudice and animosity.

Youth Scotland: £136,768

Tackling sectarianism through peer education.

Total: £2,681,005

In addition to the projects announced above, a small grants programme of £350,000 was announced to support small scale and one off projects in local communities.  Further information about the programme will be available on the Voluntary Action Fund website shortly: www.voluntaryactionfund.org.uk

Proposed petition to Scottish Parliament calls on Judiciary, tribunal panel members to declare memberships of secret societies, race-hate or sectarian groups

Scottish Parliament Petitions Committee to consider petition requiring judges to declare membership of societies. A PROPOSED PETITION to the Scottish Parliament calling for members of the judiciary such as sheriffs, judges, members of courtroom juries and tribunal members to be required declare their membership of organisations & secret societies such as Freemasonry is to be considered by Petition Committee clerks at Holyrood.

The petition, presented to the Scottish Parliament by Fife transparency campaigner Mr Thomas Minogue “Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to amend the law or codes of practice to make it compulsory for decision makers such as sheriffs, judges, and juries at their courts, arbiters, tribunal panel members (income-tax, social security, employment, industrial etc) to declare if they have ever been members of organisations, such as the Masons, that demand fraternal preference to their brethren over non-brethren, or organisations which have constitutions or aims that are biased against any particular sect, religion or race.”

Mr Minogue also asks “That a register of such membership is held by the various bodies that supervise such judicial and quasi-judicial tribunals and that access to these registers is given on demand to the defendant, litigant, or plaintiff wishing to exercise their rights to a fair hearing in accordance with Article 6 of the ECHR.”

In documents seen by Scottish Law Reporter, Mr Minogue wrote with reference to the petition’s background “In 2000 I petitioned the Scottish Parliament with PE 306 which was in a similar vein to this petition. Then, after having been under consideration for over three years with the parliament the petition was dismissed and the last two meetings at which my submissions were heard in regard to PE 306 of 4^th and 18 March 2004 have been removed from the public record for that public petition.”

“These meetings were not insignificant and in fact at the meeting of the 4^th March the Justice Minister Jim Wallace was questioned by the committee on my submissions regarding membership of the Speculative Society of Edinburgh and the Masons among the judiciary.”

“Furthermore despite the fact that the committee had asked me to provide examples of cases where there was a perception that freemasonry had influenced a court or tribunal the committee did not publish the submissions I made in this regard. “

“I believe that this censorship was draconian given that details of own case, Stott v Minogue 2000 SLT (Sh Ct) 25, & GWD 36-1386, - which spawned the petition – and the decision by the Social Security Commissioner, Ref: CS1/136/02. are in part matters of public record, or have been reported widely in the press and legal journals and are the two most important Scottish cases that deal with the influence of freemasonry in the justice system.”

“Having sought to determine my rights to challenge the existing law which allows non-disclosure of (secret) membership of fraternal organisations by decision makers by the courts, my elected representatives, and the previous government (which subverted the public petitions process), I am now attempting to resolve this anomaly with a new government, which claims to be open and accountable to the people of Scotland.”

“This public petition is similar to my Petition 306 but it’s terms have been broadened to encompass more of the decision makers whose roles may affect our lives. These now include jurors as since my original petition there have been some very high profile cases where there has been a perception among many, including high profile members of the legal profession, that the interests of justice have not been served and there is a need to know more about the background of those called for jury duty.”

“However the general terms are similar to PE 306, which had its genesis in a court case held at Dunfermline Sheriff Court between 1999 and 2000. The case is now known as Stott v Minogue. At a preliminary hearing before Sheriff Stuart Forbes I addressed him with my concerns that the charges of housebreaking and theft that were brought against me were motivated out of malice by a competitor who had used Masonic influence to have me charged in what was nothing more than a commercial dispute.”

“The sheriff after initially refusing to hear my submission that I wished a declaration of Masonic membership/status from the judge who would hear my case relented and after hearing me allocated this issue to another sheriff at a later date.”

“In another preliminary hearing convened to settle the question of my objection to a Mason hearing my case the Sheriff, Isobella McColl, at her discretion gave me the assurances I had sought, but said that the principle of the question of whether or not such assurances should be given on demand from a litigant was one for the Scottish Parliament.”

“This satisfied my immediate concerns as to my rights, but left the principle involved undetermined. With this in mind and so that others may not have to go through what I had to I decided to take the sheriff’s advice and before the outcome of my trial – which resulted in me being found not guilty of any offence – I petitioned the Parliament with my public petition PE 306.As my trial was still ongoing I did not give details of the case but dealt instead with the principles involved.”

The Public Petitions Committee website shows a brief synopsis of the main events in the life of PE 306 between 19 Dec 2000 and 28 Jan 2003.

Campaigner Mr Minogue’s website features a link HERE containing copies of the official transcript of all the meetings at which PE 306 was considered between 19 Dec 2000 and 18 Mar 2004 (that is including the last two censored meetings).

Mr Minogue told Scottish Law Reporter earlier today his petition is aimed at a court or tribunal user having the right to know if the person deciding their rights - or innocence or guilt – is a member of an organisation that has a sworn obligation to prefer their brethren over non-brethren, if such membership might be seen by a reasonable observer as possibly having an impact on the result of the court or tribunal.

Speaking this afternoon to Scottish Law Reporter, a senior legal figure said he agreed with the aims of Mr Minogue’s petition, saying “it is time such declarations were required of judges and juries given the lack of transparency of Scotland’s justice system.”

The late, highly respected QC Paul McBride called for tests, declarations from jurors. It is also worth noting the highly respected QC, the late Paul McBride called for similar declarations regarding jurors last year after the not proven verdict in the case of the assault on Celtic manager Neil Lennon. Mr McBride’s remarks and calls for disclosure were reported widely in the media Top QC calls for jury reform and on Scots law blogs such as Diary of Injustice HERE.

The Herald newspaper reported that Paul McBride said potential jurors should be interviewed to establish they can “read, write and speak English” and are not “riven with prejudice”.

Mr McBride believes potential jurors should be forced to disclose their occupation and whether they have been a victim of crime. He said Scotland’s jury system, in which 15 people can reach a decision on a majority of 8-7, made reform even more important.

His intervention follows a jury’s not proven verdict in the case of Hearts fan John Wilson, who was cleared of assaulting Celtic manager Neil Lennon during a match earlier this year. Wilson was accused of a sectarian attack on Lennon, but he was acquitted.

The verdict came despite Wilson admitting in court he had lunged at the Celtic manager and struck him.

Mr McBride said: “The question is, ‘can we improve our jury system?’ and the answer is undoubtedly yes.This is an area that lawyers have been discussing for some time. Judges and lawyers undergo a high standard of training. The only area where there is no scrutiny at all on the people who actually make the decision, which is baffling.”

“You don’t have to be able to read or write or speak English.We have got 15 people deciding whether a person is guilty and we know nothing about them.”

“In Scotland, unlike any other country on the planet, a person can be convicted by one vote. Following the Lennon verdict a lot of people, and newspapers were asking about the selection process for juries.”

“In every other country there is some kind of jury selection process to determine whether they have got the basic skills and whether they have committed a crime. A lot of trials are conducted by police statements. If a member of the jury can’t read or speak English that’s a bit of a disadvantage.”

Sectarian Scotland : SNP to tackle root problems of ‘Catholic Bashing’ & sectarian hatred with £116K funding for school plays

SNP tackle anti-Catholic bigotry & church desecrations with school plays & destruction of hate crime statistics. FROM the same SNP Scottish Government who authorised the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) to destroy years of sectarian crime statistics so as to avoid public shock at the scale of the problem, a new policy to tackle sectarian bigotry & hatred has been announced by Community Safety Minister Roseanna Cunningham in the form of funding for a school play & a ‘spirituality’ festival. The latest move by the SNP forms part of a charm offensive to calm fears expressed in the predominantly Catholic EU over Scotland’s sectarian problem and the extent to which it has been covered up, seemingly at the highest levels of Government.

The Scottish Government issued a media release yesterday claiming the new project, involving forty school pupils to devise a stage play will educate the next generation of Scots.

Ms Cunningham sought maximum publicity for her announcement, made while attending "Scotland's Apartheid: Can we heal the green and orange sectarian divide?" as part of the “Festival of Spirituality and Peace”. The minister also announced £9,000 of public money to be handed over to the “Festival of Spirituality and Peace” to run a series of events on sectarianism, emblazoned with SNP logos & pro-independence voting campaigns.

Scottish Government Press Release : Funding announced to tackle bigotry

Communities Minister Roseanna Cunningham said: “Hatred of any kind has no place in modern Scotland and we need to do everything we can to stop it wherever and whenever it occurs, whilst tackling the root causes. We need to develop a broad set of actions to tackle it in different ways across society, from grassroots projects in communities, through to education and other initiatives which address the root causes of sectarianism. There is already some fantastic work taking place in communities across the country and we want to build on that success.

Ms Cunningham continued : “The work the Citizens Theatre are doing working with schools to educate the next generation of young Scots has been widely acclaimed and I am delighted this funding will help roll it out to South Lanarkshire. I hope the same success we’ve seen in Glasgow can be replicated in other areas of Scotland and projects like this are so important.

“Similarly, the funding for the Festival of Spirituality and Peace to run a series of events on sectarianism can help challenge attitudes and send out a strong message that sectarianism is never acceptable, never excusable. Sectarianism has ruined the lives of too many people and too many communities for far long enough. Working with organisations and communities across the country, we are determined to take wide-ranging action society to eradicate it once and for all. True change will only come about when we all take a stand against sectarianism and do our part in the fight against bigotry and hatred.”

However, the SNP’s policy on tackling sectarian bigotry & religious hatred in Scotland appears to be anything but genuine, where previously Scottish Law Reporter covered the destruction of the sectarian data by the Crown Office, here : SECTARIAN SCOTLAND COVER-UP : Crown Office admits it destroyed sectarian offences data ‘showing majority of crimes were against Catholics’.

The data on sectarian offences was ordered to be destroyed after Professor Tom Devine urged msps during a session of the Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee (click Professor Tom Devine speaking on Crown Office sectarian data analysis to watch video clip)to request sight of the now destroyed hate crime statistics for further study.

Today, a leading critic of the Scottish Government’s policies on sectarianism in Scotland rubbished Ms Cunningham's claims the latest funding award would tackle root problems of sectarianism.

He said : “If Mr Salmond and the SNP are serious about tackling the root problems of sectarianism in Scotland, no Orange Order march will ever again be allowed to take place on Scottish soil.”

The Scottish Government was unavailable for any further comment.

Huge rise in sectarian offences blamed on 'increased awareness' as Lord Advocate & Crown Office welcome publication of Scotland's hate crime data

CRIMES motivated by religious prejudice, otherwise known as ‘sectarian’ crimes – a subject which saw bitter protest & debate at the Scottish Parliament lasts year amid attempts by the Scottish Government to use widely unpopular legislative means to deal with the underlying religious bigotry in Scots society have shown a large recorded rise of 29% on last year, according to data released by the Crown Office this week.

However, the figures released by the Crown Office do not include offences covered by the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012 which came into force on 1 March 2012. Provisional figures show that 42 charges were reported to the procurator fiscal under this act in March 2012. In all but two the initial decision made was that court proceedings were to be commenced.

A Press Release issued by the Crown Office on Thursday, blamed the large recorded increase of religious prejudice crimes as “likely to be partly due to increased awareness, reporting and recording of these crimes, following several incidents which received significant media attention during 2011-12.”

However there are those who doubt the figures and the sincerity of the Lord Advocate & his staff to keep pace with a class of particular crime that appears to have gone under-reported and under-recorded by Scotland’s prosecuting & Police services due to an unwillingness to tackle Scotland’s secret, deep rooted sectarian problem.

Commenting on the figures of sectarian crime, Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland said: “The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is absolutely determined to play its part in confronting the problems of offending motivated by religious prejudice. Such behaviour is completely unacceptable in modern Scotland.”

While critics have given some praise to the Lord Advocate for addressing the issue of sectarian offences, some have pointed out that it is now an established fact the same Crown Office which Mr Mulholland now leads as Lord Advocate ordered the destruction of historical statistics on sectarian crime in Scotland, to avoid any debate & questioning of the data during the Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee’s investigation of the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Bill

Scottish Law Reporter covered the destruction of the sectarian data by the Crown Office, here : SECTARIAN SCOTLAND COVER-UP : Crown Office admits it destroyed sectarian offences data ‘showing majority of crimes were against Catholics’. The data on sectarian offences was apparently destroyed after Professor Tom Devine had urged msps at the Scottish Parliament to request sight of the material for further study.

The Crown Office report on Hate Crime Statistics can be viewed online here : Hate Crime in Scotland - May 2012 and the report on religious aggravated offending in Scotland 2010-2011 can be viewed online HERE

The Press Release from the Crown Office on Hate Crime statistics :

LORD ADVOCATE WELCOMES PUBLICATION OF FIGURES ON HATE CRIMES

COPFS has today published “Hate Crime in Scotland, 2011-2012”.

This brings together figures for crimes motivated by prejudice based on: Race; Religion; Disability; Sexual Orientation and Transgender Identity.

Speaking on the publication of the statistics, the Lord Advocate, Frank Mulholland QC, said: “In the last twelve months there have been a significant number of crimes brought to court arising from an underlying motive of prejudice and it is encouraging to see that many more of those subjected to such offences now have the confidence to report them. We would urge the public to report all hate crimes to the police. They can have confidence that all such crimes will be investigated carefully and prosecuted robustly. We have a zero-tolerance approach for any such offences and will not tolerate bigotry and prejudice which can have no place in modern Scotland. Although not included in these statistics, we have already seen 42 charges reported to COPFS in relation to offences in contravention on the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012 since it came into force on 1 March. To date, in all but two the initial decision made was that court proceedings were to be commenced.”

Race
The main findings are: The figures for crimes motivated by racial prejudice show a rise of 8% on last year. This is the highest number reported in the last 6 years. In total, where there was sufficient evidence, action was taken in 95% of charges with a further 2% awaiting a decision on how to proceed.

The Lord Advocate said: “Prejudice and hatred which finds expression in criminal behaviour has no place in Scotland. As prosecutors we take a tough stance on crimes motivated by racial prejudice because we see the upset it brings to individuals and the corrosive effect it has on communities.”

Chris Oswald, Head of Policy & Communications at the Equality & Human Rights Commission, said: "Crimes motivated by prejudice have a devastating effect both on the immediate victims and the wider community: they taint our values of a civilised, tolerant society. These figures highlight a six-year high in crimes motivated by racial prejudice. It is clear that there is still a way to go to ensure that no-one becomes a victim simply because of who they are perceived to be. “However, the figures also suggest that more people are coming forward to report targeted crimes. It is encouraging that there appears to be increased confidence that criminal justice agencies will deal appropriately and robustly with hate crime. The figures also highlight the need for robust data gathering and sharing, so that the criminal justice sector can continue to develop a clear picture of who is committing these crimes and why.”

Religion
The main findings are: The figures for crimes motivated by religious prejudice show a rise of 29% on last year, and the highest number of charges since the legislation came into force. In total, where there was sufficient evidence, action was taken in 97% of charges with a further 3% awaiting a decision on how to proceed. This large increase is likely to be partly due to increased awareness, reporting and recording of these crimes, following several incidents which received significant media attention during 2011-12.

The Lord Advocate said: “The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is absolutely determined to play its part in confronting the problems of offending motivated by religious prejudice. Such behaviour is completely unacceptable in modern Scotland.”

Superintendent David Brand from the Football Coordination Unit for Scotland (FoCUS) said : “I believe we have made real inroads into ridding football of offensive behaviour with signs that fans themselves are changing their behaviour for the better. Having been closely involved with the game and supporters for some time now, I certainly feel like we’ve made a big leap forward.”

Disability
The main findings are: In total, where there was sufficient evidence, action was taken in 81% of charges with a further 12% awaiting a decision on how to proceed. The figures for charges received relating to disability show a rise of 20 since last year the first full year of implementation. The most common reason for taking no action for hate crimes motivated by prejudice of disability was the lack of sufficient admissible evidence for the substantial charge.

The Lord Advocate said: “Crimes motivated by prejudice against disability are particularly challenging due to the nature of the offence and while there has been an increase in the number of offences reported, there is still work to be done to provide victims with the confidence to report such offences. I can reassure any victim of such an offence that it will be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted robustly.”

Richard Hamer, Director of External Affairs at Capability Scotland said: "Todays figures are disappointing from a position of the actual number of prosecutions, particularly given the significant numbers of charges relating to race, sexual orientation and religion.They are also concerning in the light of the Scottish Commissioner for Children and Young People's recent report which identified bullying and harassment of disabled children as being a routine part of their lives. However, we welcome the rise in cases reported and look forward to action being taken to address the clear issue relating to the gathering of admissible evidence."

Sexual Orientation and Transgender Identity
Sexual Orientation
The main findings are: The figures for reports received relating to sexual orientation show a rise of 46% on last year, the first full year of implementation. In total, where there was sufficient evidence, action was taken in 95% of charges with a further 3% awaiting a decision on how to proceed.

Transgender Identity
In total, where there was sufficient evidence, action was taken in 81% (13 out of 16) of charges with a further 19% (3 charges) awaiting a decision on how to proceed. The figures for reports received relating to transgender identity show a rise of 2 charges on last year, the first full year of implementation.

The Lord Advocate said: “Every individual, regardless of their sexual orientation or transgender identity, has the right to live free from violence, and without fear of humiliation, harassment or abuse, based on prejudice.”

Tim Hopkins of the Equality Network said: “The big rise in prosecutions for homophobic hate crime is not surprising – the law is new and more people are now reporting crimes to the police. But surveys indicate that around 50,000 people in Scotland have faced homophobic or transphobic hate crime, and a lot of it is unreported. It’s really important that people report hate crimes, direct to the police or via third parties such as LGBT organisations, so that action can be taken to reduce the problem.”

Letter bomb trial : Prosecutors concerned alleged ‘Facebook spat between lawyers’ may be seen as ‘attempt to undermine accused legal representation’

Neil Lennon, Trish Godman & ‘top QC Paul McBride were targets of viable letter bombs. SERIOUS CONCERNS have been privately expressed by Crown Office insiders regarding an alleged FACEBOOK spat reported in national newspapers involving two advocates from the MacKinnon Advocates stable, one a high profile 'Top' QC, Paul McBride, and the other, Victoria J Young who narrowly escaped a criminal prosecution for stalking. Both advocates are involved (Mr McBride as a victim, Ms Young representing the accused) in the trial due to take place next week at the High Court in Glasgow of two men accused of plotting to murder Mr McBride QC, Celtic boss Neil Lennon and ex-MSP Trish Godman by means of sending “Viable” parcel bombs to the Celtic manager and the two high-profile fans of the Glasgow club.

Reports that a Faculty of Advocates investigation into allegations one of the advocates representing the accused in the trial, Victoria J Young who narrowly escaped a criminal prosecution for stalking after being charged by Strathclyde Police had “slagged off” one of the alleged victims of the letter bomb murder plot "top” QC Paul McBride, via the social network website FACEBOOK have so far been DENIED by senior figures from the FoA, however it now transpires insiders at Scotland’s prosecution service have expressed concern the spat between the two QCs, one a victim and the other, representing one of the accused, “may well have damaged or undermined the accused’ legal representation” leading to concerns over the progress of trial, due next week..

Speaking in the earlier report a Faculty insider who wished to remain anonymous said there was concern the allegations may have “an alternative agenda” however the insider did not wish to elaborate further.

It is now generally accepted Scotland has a significant sectarian problem which has grown so bad, the Lord Advocate authorised Crown Office to destroy its statistics on hate crimes against Catholics in case the predominantly EU found out, as reported HERE

BBC News reported on the parcel bombs incident : The first suspect package was intercepted by the Royal Mail in Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire, on 26 March and was addressed to Mr Lennon at Celtic's training ground in nearby Lennoxtown. Two days later a device was delivered to Labour politician Ms Godman's constituency office in Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire. Her staff were suspicious of the package and contacted Strathclyde Police. The third package was addressed to Mr McBride at the Faculty of Advocates in Edinburgh. It is believed to have been posted in Ayrshire before being found in a letter box by a postal worker on Friday and taken to a Royal Mail sorting office in Kilwinning, where police were contacted.

Commenting on the incident, Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond said: "Let us be quite clear - there is a major police investigation under way to ensure that the individual or individuals concerned are identified and apprehended, and then brought to book with the full force of the law. We will not tolerate this sort of criminality in Scotland, and as an indication of the seriousness with which we view these developments the Cabinet sub-committee met last Saturday to ensure that the police investigation has every possible support to come to a successful conclusion."

The Top (or) Bottom of it : Faculty of Advocates deny investigation into alleged Facebook smears by respected Advocate against QC Paul McBride

The top & bottom of it is, we are looking into the affair, says Faculty of Advocates insider. SOURCES at the Faculty of Advocates late tonight have confirmed an informal investigation is under-way to establish who leaked what one FoA insider branded “a malicious story” to a newspaper alleging that a member of the Faculty of Advocates, Victoria J Young, who narrowly escaped a criminal prosecution for stalking after being charged by Strathclyde Police some years back, had ‘smeared’ another member of the Faculty, ‘top’ QC Paul McBride on the popular social network website Facebook “for referring to himself as a top QC.” It is generally known the advocate who was accused of allegedly making the remarks, Victoria Young, is representing Neil McKenzie who, along with Trevor Muirhead, denies plotting to murder Mr McBride, Celtic boss Neil Lennon and ex-MSP Trish Godman, who were allegedly targeted in a sectarian letter bomb plot in Scotland, where up until now it has always been widely denied there is any sectarian problem.

The Sun newspaper reported last week that “AN advocate acting for a man accused of sending a bomb to Celtic lawyer Paul McBride is being probed over claims she slagged off the QC on Facebook. Victoria Young, 41, is said to have slammed Mr McBride for referring to himself as a "top QC". It's also said she accused the lawman — formerly in the Tory and Labour parties — of planning to join the SNP.

One post said: "Call me cynical but do the top QC's comments on recent Appeal Ct decision... suggest he's about to join a third party?" A lawyer pal, Tina Smith, replied: "He really has no credibility left."

The Faculty insider who wished to remain anonymous said there was concern the allegations may have “an alternative agenda” however the insider did not wish to elaborate further.

It is now generally accepted Scotland has a significant sectarian problem which has grown so bad, the Lord Advocate authorised Crown Office to destroy its statistics on hate crimes against Catholics in case the predominantly EU found out, as reported HERE

Victoria J Young & Paul McBride are part of the same advocates stable, MacKinnon Advocates.It is also known Mr McBride is to be a columnist in the new Sun on Sunday newspaper, Scotland edition.

As readers, and an extremely irate, if nameless ‘top’ (another top, yes- Ed) member of the legal profession have since pointed out, while Mr McBride is generally well known in the media, it should not be forgotten the same applies to Ms Young, who was charged by Strathclyde Police with committing a contravention of the Telecommunications Act in connection with her admitted stalking of journalist Paddy Christie, who had a relationship with Young’s boss, Scotland’s most famous QC’s Donald Findlay (Might be called top-most in someone’s language ? –Ed).

Strathclyde Police put a trace on the stalking victim’s phone and linked the calls to Victoria Young, the advocate who, under questioning, partially admitted the accusations but claimed she had made only two calls after she had received nuisance calls from Miss Christie. Following a second police interview over the case, Miss Young retracted these claims, admitted making seven calls and promised to write a letter of apology. The criminal case was dropped.

Victoria Young narrowly escaped a criminal prosecution over the calls, after the Crown Office suspiciously dropped the case, however she was reprimanded after a complaint was made by Miss Christine to the Faculty of Advocates, who found Young had committed "serious misconduct" by making the heavy-breathing calls to the journalist Miss Christie, who is in her mid-50s at the time. When confronted by the allegations, Victoria Young initially claimed Miss Christie had made nuisance calls to her, and that she had merely responded. She later admitted she had not received any calls from Miss Christie, who had a five-year relationship with Mr Findlay.

The Daily Record reported as follows :

STRANGE CASE OF A HEAVY BREATHER; Starring a QC, his ex-lover and a lady advocate who handles his briefs.

Byline: ANNA SMITH and BRIAN McCARTNEY EXCLUSIVE Nov 11, 2000 Daily Record

TV REPORTER Paddy Christie was tormented by late night crank phone calls from a young female advocate who worked closely with her former lover Donald Findlay QC. Victoria Young, 29, was charged with making nuisance calls - but Crown officials decided not to prosecute her.

Now furious Paddy has accused legal chiefs of a cover-up. She has reported the matter to the Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, who confirmed yesterday they were investigating. She hit out: "BT and the police did a very good job and caught someone in the middle of a criminal act."Despite this the fiscal has tried to keep the whole thing confidential. He seems to be giving carte blanche to make malicious telephone calls."

Scotland Today reporter Paddy - who had a five-year relationship with Findlay - said she feared she was being pursued by a Jill Dando-type stalker. For over two years she lived in dread of the phone ringing late at night and only hearing heavy breathing. When she finally called in police they tracked a call to the mobile phone of Young, one of the country's brightest young advocates.

Young, the daughter of former Tory Minister Sir George Young, was interviewed on tape by police and admitted she making calls to Paddy. But after a report to the Procurator Fiscal it was decided that there should be no criminal proceedings. The procurator fiscal at Glasgow confirmed last night that the incident was dealt with by a "non court disposal".

Senior depute fiscal David Green said: "I can confirm that Victoria Young was reported to this office for an alleged contravention of the Telecommunication Act 1984 Section 43 - which is effectively nuisance calls. The report against her was given careful consideration and after that consideration it was decided not to instigate proceedings."

The depute fiscal would not comment as to why this particular case did not go to court when other similar cases result in criminal proceedings. He also would not say whether Young was given a written warning or any kind of procurator fiscal fine.

The phone calls to Paddy, while she was still living with Findlay, were made after 6.30pm but sometimes as late as one in the morning. Paddy said: "It took a few weeks to realise the calls weren't wrong numbers and that someone was stalking me by phone. "The caller never spoke but sometimes I could hear breathing."

Asked if it was heavy breathing, Paddy replied: "I don't know how loud Victoria Young's normal breathing sounds but to me it sounded like heavy breathing." She added: "I got so fed up I contacted BT to see what they could do. The answer was nothing until I reported it to the police. At that stage I didn't want to involve the police so I didn't take any further action.

"I'm not comparing myself to Jill Dando, but I do appear on television and it was preying on my mind. "I was going down the path in the morning looking up and down the street. So two months ago I finally decided that I would have to involve the police. "Almost immediately a trace was put on my home phone number and within two weeks I'd taken a hoax call that was traced to Victoria Young's mobile. "That call was made some time after 11pm when I was fast asleep in my bed."

When the police traced a second call to the same number a few days later, Young, of Dowanhill, Glasgow, was taken for interview to the city's Maryhill police station where she admitted making pest calls.She was charged but has escaped a court appearance. Paddy said: "I was flabbergasted when I found out. I've spoken to some of her legal colleagues who say they don't know how she could be so incredibly stupid."

News of Young's involvement has stunned the Scottish legal establishment. Yesterday one leading solicitor said: "Victoria is very bright and extremely ambitious. This is a real shock."

From her highly privileged background, privately-educated Young went on to Glasgow Uni where she graduated in 1993. Her early legal training was with Brodies law firm in Edinburgh, but she quickly set her sights on higher legal circles. Regarded as keen and meticulous, Young was spotted by Findlay - the high-profile, controversial criminal lawyer respected across the establishment.

As one of the highest-paid and most sought-after QCs, working with Findlay was considered an honour among the younger advocates eager to make a name for themselves. But more often than not, it was Young who worked closely with him on a number of high-profile cases.

It was during the highly emotional murder trial at the High Court in Glasgow of Kim Galbraith - accused of shooting her policeman husband - that news of Findlay's split with Paddy hit the headlines. When the Record published the story of the break-up, a furious Young leapt to his defence in the foyer of the courthouse.

In an astonishing scene she accosted Daily Record chief reporter Anna Smith, claiming we were "jeopardising" a young woman's life by publishing a story about Findlay. Later she passed a handwritten letter to the Record saying what an honour and privilege it was to work with Donald Findlay, who she said she deeply admired as a lawyer.

Last June, Young stood by Findlay when Rangers threw him out as vice-chairman - after he was caught on camera singing bigoted songs at a supporters' night out. Young continued to be at his side, though it is understood Findlay remained good friends with former lover Paddy.

A legal insider yesterday described Young as a "loner" who had few interests outside of her work and career.

The insider said: "Victoria has a pony and is a keen horse rider, but apart from that she doesn't seem to do very much. She was very close to Findlay and the two worked together on a lot of cases. Victoria is the kind of person who could seem snobbish and stand-offish when people first meet her, but in reality she is a very likeable girl.She is from a very privileged background and is ambitious. She saw herself as going all the way to the top. But she is quite a lonely person really.She would see someone like Findlay as a hugely charismatic, clever figure and perhaps even a father figure."

Yesterday Young was dropped off at her home by Findlay in his MG sports car. They kissed for a few moments before she stepped into the street. Findlay roared off and Young walked quickly into the red sandstone building where she lives in the top flat.

Last night Young told the Record she meant "no malice" in the calls and claimed she had only made two. She insisted that despite Paddy's high profile, she had no idea who she was because she was not allowed to watch ITV as she grew up.

And Young added that she was shocked to find that Paddy had reported the matter to the Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, saying she feared she had a stalker. Young said: "That is just delusions of grandeur."

Holyrood delays e-petitions over fears football supporters will use discussion forums to launch & debate petitions against anti sectarian laws

EU, we have a problem : Holyrood’s e-petitions website offline over sectarian debate fears A FORMER Scottish Parliament employee had admitted his colleagues were secretly ordered to delay the re-launch of Holyrood’s E-Petitions website amid fears Celtic & Rangers football supporters and others opposed to the Scottish Government’s Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Bill would use the e-petitions system to launch counter petitions against each other and the Scottish Government’s anti-sectarian laws, thus “weighing down” the Scottish Parliament’s website with discussions about sectarianism legislation & crimes in Scotland, something Holyrood’s bosses were and still are keen to avoid in an effort to curtail any feeling Scotland has a significant sectarian crime problem.

The information has come to light after a now former member of staff at Holyrood who has registered a grievance against his employers came forward to offer information on the long running absence of the e-petitions system, which allowed members of the public to post their petitions to the Scottish Parliament's website in order to attract discussion on their petition’s topic, and gather signatures to support a petition’s progress through the Petitions Committee.

Scottish Parliament officials had promised a re-launch of the e-petitions system “sometime in December 2011” however the planned date of re-launch was considered too close to the vote on the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Bill which was passed at the Scottish Parliament on December 14 2011, in a 64 to 57 vote, covered by Scottish Law Reporter HERE.

The Holyrood insider, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has revealed he has in his possession, a series of emails between Scottish Parliament officials who discussed their concerns about “unwanted elements using the e-petitions system to discuss or oppose the anti sectarian bill currently going through the Justice Committee”.

The insider goes on to allege a senior member of the Scottish Parliament branded members of one particular online forum as “******** *******”, a claim already passed to a national newspaper by the insider. The exact words used by the msp which are highly inflammatory, cannot be printed for legal reasons due to the law as it now stands.

Members of the particular forum named in the discussions, which is also not being identified by SLR for legal reasons, apparently stood accused of inciting hatred and making death threats against personalities from the football world & other walks of public life in Scotland. In another instance mentioned in the discussions between Holyrood officials, Celtic supporters also came in for criticism, for their websites organising protests against the Scottish Government's anti-sectarian bill which has now received Royal Assent.

The e-petitions website currently remains offline with an official explanation there have been “design changes & problems encountered along the way of its re-launch” however it has now been confirmed msps and staff at Holyrood are still concerned that opposing sides in the sectarian debate will utilise the e-petitions system to raise petitions & amendments against the Scottish Government’s much criticised anti-sectarian legislation. It can be revealed today a contingency plan has been put in place by officials to withhold any e-petition which touches on sectarian issues. A member of staff has also confirmed in off the record comments that any discussions on sectarianism “will be deleted” from the Scottish Parliament’s website.

The Scottish Parliament’s move to censor any debate on sectarianism follows a pattern of other public bodies in Scotland who have either censored, denied, or destroyed information relating to sectarian incidents.

Scottish Law Reporter featured an account of how Crown Office officials were ordered to prevent data on sectarian crimes falling into public hands, here : ‘Hate Data’ destroyed as Salmond’s SNP fear Independent Scotland viewed as ‘Too Sectarian’ to join predominantly Catholic European Union

A campaigner speaking to Scottish Law Reporter earlier today branded Holyrood’s decision to hold the e-petitions system offline over fears of discussions about sectarianism as an attempt at censorship. He went further, saying he felt the Scottish Parliament was continuing what appears to be an “anti-catholic” policy on the debate about sectarianism in Scotland.

He said : “Censoring debate is not the way to combat sectarianism in Scotland. If as many feel the Scottish Government's law is unjust it is surely our right as citizens to file a petition on the Scottish Parliament’s website and be able to discuss the issue just like everyone else.”

A Scottish Parliament spokesperson was not available to answer any questions on the allegations relating to the e-petitions website, which has now been held offline by Holyrood officials for nearly TEN MONTHS.

Salmond uses SNP Holyrood majority to ‘railroad’ through vote on Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Bill

What Salmond wants, Salmond gets - More Catholics & religious minorities in Scottish jails to fiddle the crime stats. The Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Bill (link varies due to creepy Holyrood tactics of moving the page on instructions from SG –Ed) which aims to tackle sectarian crime in Scotland in a rather limited & badly worded way, has today been passed by 64 votes to 57 in the Scottish Parliament with the SNP controlled Scottish Government using their Parliamentary majority to vote the controversial bill into law. During the debate, the Scottish Parliament showed some typical sectarianism itself by banning a group of Celtic football supporters who attended the public gallery, on the reason they were wearing white t-shirts bearing in single letters across each supporter the words "fans not criminals".

Scottish Law Reporter covered the issue earlier today HERE where Police Forces across Scotland & the Crown Office will now be looking forward to arresting more Roman Catholics in an effort to even–up the statistics on Sectarian Crime in Scotland, and you can read more of our coverage here : Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Bill and on sectarianism in Scotland.

Don't forget our report of earlier in the week which caused a stir : ‘Hate Data’ destroyed as Salmond’s SNP fear Independent Scotland viewed as ‘Too Sectarian’ to join predominantly Catholic European Union

Scottish Government fear Sectarian attacks against Catholics and other religious minorities may endanger EU view of independent Scotland. ON Wednesday of this week, whether Church burning anti-catholic Scots and the rest of us want it or not, the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Bill better known as the Scottish Government’s anti-sectarian legislation aimed at targeting insulting songs at Football matches, will be waved through into law by the SNP’s majority vote in the Scottish Parliament (no doubt after a tumultuous debate) on the pretext of strengthening the powers of the Crown Office & Police to prosecute rising numbers of sectarian attacks against Roman Catholics and other religious minorities in Scotland.

SLR’s report revealed claims one of the motivations for the destruction of the Historical Sectarian Crime Data at the Crown Office was because the Scottish Government are worried the prospects of an anti-Catholic institutionally sectarian and institutionally racist Independent Scotland would be refused EU membership by the predominantly Catholic European Union. The report also laid forth claims from COPFS insiders that everyone from Police to Hospital workers & staff of public bodies have been indulging on online sectarian hate postings.

BBC News reports on the passage of the bill :

Anti-bigot laws passed by the Scottish Parliament

New laws to tackle religious hatred and bigotry related to football have been passed by the Scottish Parliament, despite a lack of opposition support. The new Act aims to tackle the issue with jail terms of up to five years for behaviour which could cause public disorder in and around matches.

But Labour, the Tories, Lib Dems and the Scottish Greens said the bill was "railroaded" through by the SNP. They said it was "bad law which risks doing more harm than good".

Despite opposition, the majority SNP government's Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Bill was passed by 64 votes to 57. The legislation, which has won backing from police and prosecutors, aims to stamp out abusive behaviour, whether fans are watching matches in a stadium, in the pub or commenting online.

Earlier, about 20 football supporters wearing t-shirts bearing the slogan "fans not criminals" were excluded from the Holyrood chamber after parliament bosses told them they were only allowed in if they took them off.

The legislation will create two new offences relating to behaviour deemed to "incite religious, racial or other forms of hatred".

Community Safety Minister Roseanna Cunningham said she was pleased the legislation would soon become law. She said: "This bill sends out an important message about the kind of Scotland we want to live in, because the vast majority of people in this country have no time whatsoever for the kind of mindless bigotry that has attached itself to the small minority who only damage and undermine our beautiful game - or those who peddle hatred by sitting behind a computer screen posting threats of harm on the internet. This is the 21st century, and this kind of behaviour is simply not acceptable, so action had to be taken. The passing of these important new laws sends out a powerful message to the bigots that this behaviour will not be tolerated in a modern Scotland."

Ms Cunningham added: "There has been a lot of debate in recent months about this legislation, but we've listened, we've acted, and the experts are firmly behind it. Scotland has shown the courage of its convictions and has taken the action needed."

The bill was brought forward in the wake of several high-profile football-related incidents, including trouble at Rangers and Celtic games.

All four opposition parties at Holyrood and independent MSP Margo MacDonald released a joint statement.

It said: "Members of all political parties are determined to wipe the blight of sectarianism from Scottish society. It is of real regret that the first piece of legislation passed by this new parliament has been railroaded through by the SNP. The SNP has used its majority to force through bad law that risks doing more harm than good. It sets a worrying precedent for this parliament."

The opposition statement added: "The SNP has failed to make the case for the legislation both in parliament and out - with football fans, religious organisations, anti-sectarianism organisations, children's charities, the Law Society, the Human Rights Commission, the Scottish Justices Association all raising genuine concerns with the SNP legislation. We believe a far more effective response is to focus on education and young people, working with the churches and football authorities on positive, practical, evidence-based measures that tackle the root causes of sectarianism as well robust application of existing laws."

Dave Scott, campaign director of anti-bigotry pressure group Nil By Mouth, said: "The debate around this bill has polarised the political parties but it has now become law and only time will tell how effective and enforceable it proves to be. However sectarianism goes far beyond football and facebook."

What does the bill do?

It creates two new offences - one dealing with offensive behaviour relating to football games, and a second on threatening communications.

Penalties range from a £40 fixed fine to a maximum of five years in prison and an unlimited fine.

The first offence deals with sectarian and other offensive chanting and behaviour likely to cause public disorder.

It covers conduct around football matches, inside grounds, and those travelling to and from stadiums - as well as fans watching games elsewhere, for example in pubs or on big screens outdoors.

In law, the legislation aims to take into account "expressing or inciting religious, racial or other forms of hatred" and "threatening behaviour or behaviour which would be offensive to any reasonable person".

It also creates potential for the imposition of football banning orders in every case.

The second offence deals with serious threats - including murder - made on the internet and elsewhere, and threats intended to incite religious hatred.

That would take in posts on sites such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as specific websites, and actions such as sending bullets or images depicting serious harm in the post.

Scottish ministers say the legislation will not stop peaceful preaching or artistic performance, nor will it criminalise satirical jokes about religion or non-religious belief.

They also insist it will not stop peoples' right to criticise religion or non-religious beliefs, "even in harsh terms".

Decisions on sentencing in each case are a matter for the courts.

Wednesday 14 December 2011 : The day Scotland’s Government gives Police powers to ‘even-up’ Sectarian Crime Statistics by arresting more Catholics

What the Crown Office wants, the Crown Office gets : A chance to arrest more Catholics to even up crime stats. The Scottish Government have earlier this morning issued a Press Release in clear confidence the SNP majority will wave through the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Bill which aims to deal with Scotland’s secret sectarian menace by allowing Scottish Police Forces to arrest & prosecute more Roman Catholics to even up the sectarian statistics after an earlier set of figures revealed most sectarian crimes in Scotland targeted Catholics. The historical data on sectarian crimes in Scotland which would have revealed even more shocking figures of religious hate crimes against Roman Catholics & other religious minorities was so shocking, political orders were issued to the Crown Office to destroy it before the substance of the figures could be debated by academics & politicians who called for its release.

Sectarianism is the unmentionable problem of Scotland which First Minister Alex Salmond’s SNP Government are afraid of accurately documenting due to their own assessment that revealing the sheer scale of Scotland’s sectarian problem may skew the predominantly Catholic European Union’s view of an independent Scotland asking for EU membership. There is also now no doubt Sectarianism in Scotland has grown because successive Scottish administrations from ALL political parties have systematically failed to deal with sectarianism due to its appearance and possibly participation in by all levels of Scottish society including members of law enforcement & the justice system.

While some many welcome today’s attempt to tackle the problems, many observers feel the issue of tackling sectarianism via the new bill has become one of pure spin rather than tackling actual crime & sectarian sentiment which appears to run rife in Scotland. The passage of the bill has seen the First Minister and the SNP Government genuflecting before Strathclyde Police & Scotland’s Crown Office & Procurators Fiscal Service (COPFS) to give dream powers which criminalise everything short of standing in silence watching a football match.

The Scottish Government’s Press Release, issued prior to the debate & vote in the Scottish Parliament.

Offensive behaviour at football

Scotland must have the courage of its convictions and give the police and prosecutors the additional tools they have asked for to extract 'poisonous songs of hatred' from Scottish football and threats of harm being posted on the internet, Roseanna Cunningham said today.

The Minister for Community Safety was speaking as the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Bill reaches its final stage in Parliament this week.

The Minister reiterated that the vast majority of football fans at all clubs have nothing to fear from the new laws but said that the 'bigoted minority' who continue to sing offensive sectarian hatred in the name of football and who cause the public disorder which follows it should not be allowed to 'shame Scotland any longer'.

Ms Cunningham said that the experts are firmly behind the Bill and it was now time for 'common sense to prevail'. She said: "Sectarianism shouldn't be part of a modern Scotland and we need to do everything we can to eradicate it once and for all. To put it quite simply, it will not be tolerated. We must remember why we are acting. Songs are being sung at football matches in Scotland which have nothing to do with football and everything to do with hatred, violence and bigotry. Bombs have been sent through the post to individuals because of their links to particular football clubs, and death threats against a football manager posted on the internet. The offensive chanting of a minority of fans has already led to UEFA taking action against two Scottish clubs and the actions of these fans has brought shame on Scotland.

"The police and the Lord Advocate, the most senior law officer in Scotland, have asked for better tools to do their difficult job. The issues we seek to address did not just emerge in the last football season. The status quo which allows poisonous songs of hatred to be sung at Scottish football matches or threats of serious harm to be posted on the internet has gone unchallenged for too long and cannot be allowed to continue. It is time to extract the poisonous hatred from Scottish football. Banter and passionate support for football teams, even passionate opposition to other football teams, is the lifeblood of football - sectarianism and other expressions of hate are not. The experts remain firmly behind this Bill and Scotland must now show the courage of its convictions and take the action needed. Common sense must now prevail. The well-behaved fans of all clubs, who are the vast majority, have nothing to fear from a Bill which will make Scottish football and society better. This comes down to a choice. You can either do nothing and allow the status quo which allows the mindless bigot to thrive or we can take the strong action needed now and send out a message that this behaviour is not going to be tolerated any longer."

Supportive comment for the Scottish Government's proposals:

Assistant Chief Constable Campbell Corrigan, Strathclyde Police: "My view on this is quite clear. I support this legislation because it seeks to deal with a problem that we know that we have. We do have people behaving inappropriately in and around football matches and we do still hear songs being sung that have nothing to do with football and everything to do with hatred, religion and terrorism." (6 October 2011)

Lord Advocate (letter to Justice Committee, 1 November): "I fully endorse the introduction of specific offences relating to offensive behaviour at football matches and threatening communications. The offences will provide an invaluable tool for the police and prosecutors to target and tackle the unacceptable behaviour that has been associated with football." (1 November 2011)

Henry McLeish: "I applaud the legislation because this is besmirching Scotland's reputation. There is no doubt in my mind there are excesses in Scottish Football, a darker side we must get rid of. I make no apologies about that. We have to be tough. If we want this kind of warmer, friendlier game we need to tackle these excesses. And in that that case Alex Salmond is right, this is an embarrassment to Scotland" (8 December 2011)

Ian Galloway, Convener, Church and Society Council, Church of Scotland: "The Bill has been amended and improved; we have been able to engage with it, as have a range of other organisations. The consideration and debate about the issues related to the Bill have been important I think in moving Scotland forward." (December 2011)

Bishop Philip Tartaglia, Catholic Church: "I share the concerns of the Scottish Government that sectarianism should be eradicated from Scottish society. Fears that the wide remit of the 'Offensive Behaviour Bill' might impinge on the freedom to hold and express otherwise inoffensive views appear to have been recognised and are being addressed." (7 October 2011)

Stewart Regan, Chief Executive, SFA: "The Scottish FA welcomes the new Bill as tangible evidence of the success of the Joint Action Group. In particular, we are pleased to see that it covers sectarian and other forms of unacceptable chanting and threatening behaviour." (17 June 2011)

Scottish Premier League: "It is clear that offensive and threatening behaviour has no place in Scottish football and the SPL will continue to work with all members of the Joint Action Group to address this issue. On the day the fixtures for the new Clydesdale Bank Premier League season are announced, we would hope that Scottish football is in the headlines for the right reasons this season." (17 June 2011)

Pat Nevin, football commentator: "I'm personally delighted that the Parliament are going down this direction: it's been a long time overdue for me and the problem has been in Scotland, particularly the West of Scotland for a number of years". (17 June 2011)

Les Gray, Chairman of Scottish Police Federation: "Now, if somebody's going to tell me that the current situation is working fine then these people are living in cloud cuckoo land because it's not working fine."(12 December 2011).

Paul McBride QC: "I think this is the most important legislation to be passed in Scotland in the past 30 years, because it deals with a problem we absolutely have to solve". (18 June 2011)

Craig Brown, Manger of Aberdeen FC and Former Scotland Boss: "I don't think there is anyone who could dispute the benefit of this. This is something that has to be commended." (18 June 2011).

Justice Committee - September 13

SFA: "We have found the joint action group process to be helpful in examining the governance structure of football in the context in which we are meeting. We all want to improve matters and to see a redefining of the acceptable parameters of behaviour within stadia and Scottish football. We are here to give full support to the bill."

Chief Superintendent David O'Connor (Association of Scottish Police Superintendents): "The legislation could be applied to football or beyond football. We have to deal with a variety of legislation - the whole legislative framework must be taken into consideration. However, we are looking for something that will help us and that will be another string to the bow in dealing with the challenges of football."

Written Submissions to Justice Committee by August 26

Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland Football Sub Group: "ACPOS Football Sub Group fully support the introduction of legislation which is specifically enacted with the intention of tackling offensive behaviour at football. There is clearly a variety of statutory legislation already in existence which can be utilised, however this does not always fit with the variety of different incidents now witnessed throughout the football environment."

Equality and Human Rights Commission Scotland: "We welcome the Scottish Government's commitment to challenging sectarianism in Scotland."

Equality Network: "We welcome the policy intention of the Scottish Government to address the problem of the expression and stirring up of sectarian and other hatred, in relation to football, and to address incitement to violence and hatred through online and other communication".

Detail on Bill:

The Bill provides for two new offences: Offensive Behaviour related to football and Threatening Communications.

OFFENCE A - "OFFENSIVE BEHAVIOUR"

Intended to deal with sectarian and other offensive chanting and threatening behaviour likely to cause public disorder. The offence covers behaviour likely to lead to public disorder:

Expressing or inciting religious, racial or other forms of hatred. Threatening behaviour or behaviour which would be Offensive to any reasonable person. Covers behaviour at and on the way to or from a "regulated football match", which includes league, European and international matches. Definition based on football banning orders (FBO) legislation, which means there is the potential for an FBO to be imposed in every case. Also covers anywhere a match is being broadcast in a public place, and travel to and from such places. Covers a wide range of behaviours with appropriate relevant penalties ranging from fixed penalty notices (£40) and Community Payback Orders to a maximum of 5 years in prison and an unlimited fine.

OFFENCE B - "THREATENING COMMUNICATIONS"

Intended to deal with threats of serious harm and threats which incite religious hatred.
The offence covers:

Threats of serious harm intended to cause fear and alarm, or reckless as to whether they do. This includes implied threats (e.g. the posting of bullets or images depicting serious harm). Threats intended to incite religious hatred. It is a defence that the behaviour was in the situation "reasonable". This is intended to exclude artistic performance etc. Maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and an unlimited fine.

The offence will NOT:

Stop peaceful preaching or proselytising. Restrict freedom of speech including the right to criticise or comment on religion or non-religious beliefs, even in harsh terms. Criminalise jokes and satire about religion or non-religious belief.

Homicide in Scotland soars 19% yet Justice Secretary MacAskill’s statement omits any mention of sectarian or racially motivated murders

No problems here ? MacAskill’s statement contains no references to sectarian or racially motivated homicides yet at least SEVEN cases are suspected of having some level of sectarian motivation. With today given over to the Scottish Parliament’s wave through via the SNP majority of the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Bill, the Scottish Government obviously felt it a suitable day to bury other bad news, namely the soaring murder statistics in Scotland which, strangely enough in a country where Roman Catholic churches have been desecrated & burned, letter bombs have been sent to high profile Catholic public figures & football supporters, and Catholics appear to be treated with a clear level of bias to the point of facing the statistical likelihood of being imprisoned more than other religious denominations, the desperate need to pass today’s much mocked & badly worded anti-bigot bill to tackle such sectarian crimes does not apparently extend to tackling sectarian murders in Scotland where there is NOT ONE single mention or admission of any sectarian or racially related murders in the Justice Secretary’s considerably long, defensive statement on the Homicide statistics.

The full report on Homicide statistics for the past year can be read online here : Statistical Release Crime and Justice Series: Homicide in Scotland, 2010-11. SLR’s report on Scotland’s sectarian crime statistics is HERE which were published in a vague format, after the historical figures showing much more detail including it is thought sectarian related murder cases, were deliberately destroyed by Crown Office officials on political orders.

The failure of Mr MacAskill and Scottish Police Forces to admit to any sectarian related homicide in Scotland in the past year is somewhat at odds with the feelings of communities & Police on the ground, where, as Scottish Law Reporter revealed earlier this week, at least SEVEN murders in the West of Scotland this year which have been well reported in the media and are generally accepted by many to be ‘religion related’. Yet there is no mention of any of this in the official statistics, on a day when the SNP controlled Scottish Government claims they are tackling sectarianism head on.

The Scottish Government’s Press Releases & Mr MacAskill’s statement :

Homicide in Scotland 2010-11

14/12/2011

Scotland's Chief Statistician today published Homicide in Scotland, 2010-11. The publication provides information on crimes of homicide as recorded by the police in Scotland in 2010-11.

The main findings are: In 2010-11, there were 95 homicide cases recorded by the police in Scotland, an increase of 19 per cent compared to 2009-10.

The 95 homicide cases recorded in 2010-11 resulted in the death of 97 victims, an increase of 18 per cent compared to the 82 victims that were recorded in 2009-10. This represented a rate of 19 victims per million population in Scotland, compared with 16 in 2009-10.

There were 77 male homicide victims in 2010-11, 79 per cent of the total number of victims recorded. The rate of male homicide victims (30 per million population) was more than 4 times the rate for female homicide victims (7 per million population).

Of the 95 homicide cases recorded in 2010-11, a total of 138 accused persons were identified. The majority (80 per cent ) of accused persons were male, with nearly half (45 per cent ) of all accused being males aged between 16 to 30 years.

The most common method of killing in the 10 year period covered by this statistical release was with a sharp instrument. In 2010-11, 61 homicide victims were killed by a sharp instrument, accounting for 63 per cent of all homicide victims recorded.

For 96 of the 97 homicide victims recorded in 2010-11, 1 or more accused persons had been identified. The police were able to establish what the relationship of the main accused was to 93 (97 per cent ) of these 96 victims. The main accused was known to 88 per cent of these 93 victims: 15 per cent of victims were presumed to have been killed by a partner or ex-partner, 16 per cent by a relative and 57 per cent by an acquaintance.

The alcohol and drug status was known for 97 (70 per cent ) of the 138 persons accused of homicide in 2010-11. Of these 97 accused, 79 per cent were reported to have been drunk and/or on drugs at the time the homicide was committed (53 per cent were drunk, 7 per cent were on drugs and 20 per cent were both drunk and on drugs). 21 per cent of accused persons were reported not to have been under the influence of either alcohol or drugs.

Strathclyde police force area, which contained 43 per cent of the estimated population of Scotland in 2010, accounted for 64 per cent (61) of all homicide cases recorded in 2010-11, increasing from 55 per cent (44) of all cases in 2009-10.

Official statistics are produced by professionally independent statistical staff. (with no political orientation, slant or bias whatsoever ! – Ed)

Booze & drugs appear to cause most homicides, and there are no religious or racially motivated murders according to ‘Higher Power’ MacAskill :

Homicide statistics 2010-11

14/12/2011

Alcohol-fuelled violence is costing lives, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said today as statistics showed 97 people were victims of murder last year, with the vast majority of those accused under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Mr MacAskill said: "Every single life lost is one too many and every murder is a horrific tragedy for families, loved ones and for communities. I take today's figures very seriously and can assure every man woman and child that this Government will continue to work tirelessly to make Scotland a safer place.

"Although the murder rate is down by 30 percent since 2004/05, last year saw a rise from 2009/10. The statistics speak for themselves - most murders are carried out indoors, under the influence of alcohol or drugs, by someone known to the victim. These senseless acts are usually carried out by men, under the influence of cheap booze and drugs.

"Police cannot patrol every home and every doorstep, but we can take steps to stop these dreadful crimes taking place. We have put 1,000 extra police in communities across Scotland and our streets are still safer, with overall crime at its lowest rate for 35 years.

"But these figures confirm what we already know - bargain basement booze can have a fatal price. We will not shirk from taking tough action on alcohol abuse and we cannot allow this mindless violence, which has devastating consequences for families and communities across Scotland, to continue.

"Scots drink more than any other part of the UK. In a society where a man's weekly alcohol limit can be bought for about £4, tackling price is nothing short of essential. Our alcohol minimum pricing Bill, which has the support of police, doctors and nurses, will end pocket money prices on cheap supermarket white ciders, lager and value spirits and save lives.

"We have invested a record £155 million in tackling alcohol misuse since 2008, introduced a ban on quantity discounts and promotions in off-sales have been restricted. Meanwhile our Alcohol Framework outlines more than 40 measures to help prevent problems in the first place and improve support and treatment for those already experiencing them.

"Today's figures also show that the vast majority of killings involving knives are carried out indoors by perpetrators under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and not on our streets.

"Let me be crystal clear - tackling knife crime is an absolute priority for this Government and Scotland's prosecutors and courts have my backing in using the full force of the law to punish anyone who carries or uses a knife.

"Tough enforcement backed by education is key to tackling knife crime. That is why just this week the Lord Advocate announced a zero tolerance crackdown on knife carrying in a pilot project targeting Scotland's town and city centres. It follows on from this summer's strengthened prosecution policy which will see even more of these offenders facing the toughest of sentences of up to four years in prison.

"Ending Scotland's knife culture is not going to be an easy task - every incident or life lost, as these tragic cases show, is one too many. However, we are working hard to tackle the problem across the country and there will be absolutely no let up in our efforts."