Reflecting on legal responses to intimate partner femicide in Scotland

This article considers legal responses to intimate partner femicide in Scotland. It reflects on how the plea of provocation on the basis of infidelity has been used, pointing to misrepresentation of the relationship between domestic abuse and stalking. From there, findings from 57 IPF cases are presented. These findings indicate problematic stereotypes in how IPF cases are reported and the operation of the ‘love narrative’ (Monckton Smith, 2021) in sentencing. It is concluded that more must be done to label IPF cases appropriately and that improvements are achievable within the current criminal justice framework.