Committee
Criminal Justice Committee 29 October 2025
29 Oct 2025 · S6 · Criminal Justice Committee
Item of business
Subordinate Legislation
First-tier Tribunal for Scotland General Regulatory Chamber Police Appeals and Upper Tribunal for Scotland (Composition) Regulations 2025 [Draft]
Our next item of business today is an oral evidence-taking session on three affirmative instruments. I remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests—I am a former police officer.
We are joined again by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs. I also welcome to the meeting Alasdair Thomson, senior policy officer on tribunals, and Emma Thomson, solicitor in the legal directorate, from the Scottish Government.
I refer members to paper 3. I intend to allow about five minutes for this evidence session. I invite the cabinet secretary to make some opening remarks on the Scottish statutory instruments.
In the same item of business
The Convener
SNP
Our next item of business today is an oral evidence-taking session on three affirmative instruments. I remind members of my entry in the register of members’...
Angela Constance
SNP
This suite of regulations will transfer the functions and members of the existing police appeals tribunal into the Scottish tribunal structure. The Scottish ...
The Convener
SNP
Thank you. I invite questions from members.
Pauline McNeill
Lab
It might be more appropriate to put this question to Alasdair Thomson, because it is about waiting times and the current structure. I understand what we are...
Alasdair Thomson (Scottish Government)
It should not have any effect on the waiting times. Currently, the appeals are administered by the Scottish Police Authority. Upon transfer, they will be adm...
Pauline McNeill
Lab
Thank you—that was helpful. I noted that the updated rules will apply in relation to the Upper Tribunal, which the chair will have some flexibility in appoi...
Alasdair Thomson
Because the Upper Tribunal will hear questions only on points of law, members of the Upper Tribunal are even more experienced members of the judiciary—they t...
Pauline McNeill
Lab
That is great; thank you.
The Convener
SNP
As no other members have questions, we will move on to our next item of business, which is consideration of the motions to approve the affirmative SSIs on wh...
Angela Constance
SNP
I have nothing further to add. I move, That the Criminal Justice Committee recommends that the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland General Regulatory Chamber ...
The Convener
SNP
Are members content to delegate to me and the clerks responsibility for approving a short factual report to the Parliament on the affirmative instruments? M...
The Convener
SNP
That will be published shortly. We will have another short suspension to allow for a changeover of witnesses. 10:58 Meeting suspended. 11:02 On resuming—