Questions from the Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services:
Justice Processes & Experiences - Juror Beliefs, Juror Decision-Making and Judicial Directions
How do jurors in Scotland perceive pre-recorded evidence and how, if at all, does this differ from the way in which they perceive live evidence? Does the way in which evidence is delivered, either pre-recorded or live, impact upon juror decision-making and jury deliberations?
Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services, 2025
Justice Processes & Experiences - Juror Beliefs, Juror Decision-Making and Judicial Directions
What factors do jurors consider when evaluating the credibility of witnesses? How do jurors understand and account for common trauma responses such as freezing, befriending, anger, dissociation, lack of visible distress, and cognitive impacts on memory and coherence during their deliberations?
Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services, 2025
Justice Processes & Experiences - Juror Beliefs, Juror Decision-Making and Judicial Directions
With regard to the ‘rape and sexual offence myth directions’, how do jurors receive, understand and use these directions? Is there any way in which they could be made to be more effective? Are there alternative mechanisms which would more effectively combat “rape myths”?
Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services, 2025
Justice Processes & Experiences - Juror Beliefs, Juror Decision-Making and Judicial Directions
To what extent are rape and sexual offence cases in Scotland impacted by those involved in the case believing or communicating “rape myths” (prescriptive or descriptive beliefs about rape that serve to deny, downplay or justify sexual violence)? What actions could be taken to lessen the impact of such beliefs in these cases?
Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services, 2025
Justice Processes & Experiences - Trauma, Mental Illness and the Justice System
How do mental health conditions and trauma histories influence people's pathways to crime, rates of reoffending and their experiences within the criminal justice system? How can interventions be tailored to address their specific needs? What systems are in place to ensure their needs continue to be met once their contact with the criminal justice system ends? How effective are these systems?
Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services, 2025
Justice Processes & Experiences - Trauma, Mental Illness and the Justice System
To what extent have trauma-informed practices been embedded within the Scottish justice system? What progress has been made and what aspects of the system still need to be adapted in order to minimise harm and re-traumatisation, support the recovery of victims and, enable the most effective evidence gathering?
Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services, 2025
Justice Processes & Experiences - Experiences of Victims, Witnesses, and the Accused in the Justice System
How are experiences of justice treatment interdependent with justice outcomes and decisions? What evidence is there to suggest that both victims, accused and defenders care about the overall rights and fairness of processes, challenging zero-sum game models?
Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services, 2025
Justice Processes & Experiences - Experiences of Victims, Witnesses, and the Accused in the Justice System
How do victims conceptualise justice? Does this differ by victim or case type? Does this differ from how other actors in the justice system conceptualise justice?
Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services, 2025
Justice Processes & Experiences - Experiences of Victims, Witnesses, and the Accused in the Justice System
What impact has greater use of pre-recorded evidence had on the administration and delivery of justice in Scotland and on criminal justice partners more generally?
Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services, 2025
Justice Processes & Experiences - Experiences of Victims, Witnesses, and the Accused in the Justice System
What are the experiences of children and young people as they move through the justice system? Are their needs different from those of adults? If so, how might the justice system adapt to better meet those needs?
Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services, 2025
Justice Processes & Experiences - Experiences of Victims, Witnesses, and the Accused in the Justice System
What practical and/or logistical aspects of the running of the justice system could be amended in order to ultimately improve victim, witness and party experience?
Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services, 2025
Justice Processes & Experiences - Experiences of Victims, Witnesses, and the Accused in the Justice System
How can the perspectives of groups less able than others to access justice services come to be included in evidence bases? How will this change what we already know of the limits and potential of the justice system?
Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services, 2025
Justice Processes & Experiences - Experiences of Victims, Witnesses, and the Accused in the Justice System
Are there particular groups, or types, of victims, witnesses and parties that have more negative experiences of the criminal justice system? If so, what can be done to improve the experiences of these groups?
Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services, 2025
Justice Processes & Experiences - Experiences of Victims, Witnesses, and the Accused in the Justice System
What are the experiences of victims, witnesses, parties and the accused as they move through the justice system? Have recent policy changes impacted their experiences? In what ways might their experiences be improved?
Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services, 2025
Justice Processes & Experiences - Courts, Cases, Representation & Legal Aid
What does the geographical data tell us about legal aid provision across Scotland? Are there geographical differences with regard to the types of cases, civil or criminal, that legal aid is being granted for? Is there any evidence to suggest that there are “legal aid deserts” in Scotland?
Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services, 2025