Majority of Scots find court sentencing too lenient

More than half of Scots think that the current court sentences are far too lenient.

That's according to a new survey by The Scottish Sentencing Council, who found that 56% of respondents believe the punishments to be "much too" or a "little too" lenient.

The majority also said they felt public protection was the most important purpose of sentencing.

It has led to renewed calls for an end to "soft touch" justice and the presumption against prison sentences of less than a year.

Liam Kerr, Scottish Conservative justice spokesman, said: "The SNP cannot continue to ignore the majority of Scots who oppose their soft touch justice.

"In addition, almost 60% of Scots agree that the courts' number one priority should be protecting the public.

"This demonstrates why the SNP must support my Bill to keep the worst criminals in prison forever.

"And the SNP must abolish their presumption against prison sentences of less than a year and put victims and the public first.

"The Scottish people have sent a powerful message that they do not agree with the SNP's soft touch justice, the SNP must listen."

Ipsos MORI conducted 15-minute telephone interviews with 1,000 randomly selected adults in Scotland between March 13 to April 7.

They were asked about what the purpose of sentencing should be, how current sentencing is perceived, their awareness of different options and what ought to be given for causing death by driving offences and some sexual offences.

Results show the awareness of sentencing among the general population was mixed.

Less than half - 47% - said they knew a lot or a moderate amount, while 53% stated they knew a little or nothing at all about the sentences.

The majority of respondents did have knowledge of the different non-custodial sentences that can be imposed in Scotland.

However, there was a tendency to overestimate the proportion of convictions that result in prison sentences.

Judge Lady Dorrian, Lord Justice Clerk and chairwoman of the Scottish Sentencing Council, said: "While it is positive that most people contacted felt they had a good knowledge of sentencing options, it is clear from the survey that there remains work to be done to demystify sentencing in Scotland.

"This research gives the council some insight into how we can most effectively contribute to improving that public understanding.

"Part of that work is undoubtedly the development of clear, concise sentencing guidelines which help explain how sentencing works.

"For example, we are currently consulting on a draft guideline setting out the sentencing process for all offences, which we hope will be of particular interest to the public.

"I would urge anyone with an interest in how sentences are decided in Scotland to take part in the consultation exercise."