Victims’ in Scotland: a review

Writing in the early days of the devolved Scottish Parliament, Sue Moody reflected that ‘consideration of the needs and rights of victims in the criminal justice process is relatively new in Scotland’ notwithstanding ‘important developments in our knowledge and understanding’ about victims and their needs in the previous decade (Moody, 1999: 319). The substantial expansion of victim services, policy and legislative changes relating to victims since devolution has not been matched by any upsurge in interest amongst academics in Scotland and conversely, perhaps as a consequence, there is very little in the wider literature of victimology about Scottish developments (although see Croall, Chapters 4 and 9 in this volume). This chapter therefore attempts to begin to tackle this gap by outlining:sources for and the emergence of knowledge about victims and victimisation in Scotland;the key third-sector agencies delivering victims’ services; and key strands of victim policy, especially since devolution.