We move on to item 4 on our agenda, which is consideration of 13 current petitions.PE504, by Mr and Mrs James Watson, who are in the public gallery, calls on the Parliament to take the necessary steps to prevent convicted murderers, or members of their families, from profiting from their crimes by selling accounts of their crimes for publication. It is one of the longest-standing petitions in our system. Mr and Mrs Watson have campaigned strongly for a number of years, given the tragic situation that they found themselves in because of the conduct of someone who was convicted of the crime in question. They have raised the issue at all levels over the past 11 or 12 years. We know that there is a broader debate, in which the minister who has responsibility for such issues in Scotland has engaged. How do members wish to proceed?
Official Report · Committee
Current Petitions
Criminal Memoirs (Publication for Profit) (PE504)
Speakers
Choose an MSP to read only their contributions- Frank McAveety Lab 4
- Nigel Don SNP 1
- Bill Butler Lab 1
- Anne McLaughlin SNP 1
- John Farquhar Munro LD 1
The record
8 contributionsI am sure that I am not alone in thinking that we are still in an unsatisfactory place. As Bill Butler will be, I am conscious that aspects of the Coroners and Justice Bill that is before the Westminster Parliament came to our Justice Committee for consideration. I think that that bill will do something to help—providing that it is passed in the form that it was in when it came before us—by making it slightly more difficult for convicted criminals to profit from their memoirs. I am sure that that is a step in the right direction. The sad part, which, as I pointed out at the Justice Committee, does not seem to be being addressed, is that if I were the world's worst criminal—you might decide that I am—although I might not be able to write my memoirs and benefit from that, there is nothing in the present legislation that would prevent my son from writing those memoirs and profiting from them, and I might not necessarily object to that. Even the changes to the law that we are being told about, which may yet happen, do not go far enough—we know that.The difficulty is that the Westminster Government does not seem to be interested, and it is not entirely obvious to us what we in Scotland can usefully and productively do. These are cross-border issues to do with publication. I do not think that we should regard the petition as satisfactorily resolved in any sense. The problems are being forced on us more acutely and clearly, and I am not sure that I can see a good answer.
I agree. We could write to the Scottish Government about the forthcoming consultation on defamation, asking what specific measures will be included that will be directly relevant to the petition, what the timetable is for the consultation and whether the petitioners will be involved in the preparatory work for it. It is reasonable to ask those questions.I agree with Nigel Don that there seems to be a problem with the families of those who have been convicted of heinous crimes being able to profit from those crimes.
I am aware that the family members are here, and that the petition has been in the system for a long time. We want to get the best possible answers, but we are constrained by our ability to influence the legislative framework at the UK level. We should take Bill Butler's comments on board and raise the matter with the relevant Government minister to see whether we can bring the issue into the discussion on defamation. I hope that we can get support from elsewhere in the UK, too.
I am in complete agreement with everything that has been said so far. We ought to congratulate Mr and Mrs Watson on what they have managed to achieve and the fact that they have persisted with the petition for such a long time. It is not as if they have not got anywhere; what they have achieved is magnificent. Yes, we want to achieve more, but they have taken a huge step forward and should be congratulated.
I have dealt with the family in the past and I know what they have been through. No one would wish that on anyone. They have been committed to getting justice so that other families do not have to face the terrible realities that they have had to face through the conduct of those responsible. We will keep the petition open and try to use our role on the committee to seek a positive conclusion for the campaign that the petition raised.
I see from our notes that Mrs Watson has requested a meeting with the Minister for Housing and Communities.
Yes. I think that the family has met the minister, and that the meeting has been described as a positive development.
In this meeting
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