Convictions through offensive behaviour act drop for the third year
THE conviction rate of the offensive behaviour at football legislation has fallen to its lowest in three years, with one-third of cases collapsing.
New figures have revealed that, of the 229 cases brought to court last year, just 157 resulted in a conviction. It means the controversial act had a conviction rate of 68.5 per cent in 2016-17, which compares to 75.6% in the previous year and 84.4% the year before that.
The Scottish Conservatives said the slump in conviction rates was proof the act should be scrapped.
Shadow justice secretary Liam Kerr said it was clear sheriffs were not convinced by the legislation, the introduction of which the Scottish Conservatives have opposed from the outset.
Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Liam Kerr said: “The fact the conviction rate with this act has slumped to a new low shows again why it has to be dropped.
“Clearly the courts don’t have faith in it as a piece of legislation, and football fans are sick of being victimised in this way. The Scottish Conservatives argued from the start that this was a needless move by the SNP, yet still the nationalists are sticking to their guns on this hated law. No-one, with the exception of the blinkered SNP, thinks this legislation is fair.”
Annabelle Ewing, Minister for Community Safety, said: “In the last six years, more than 500 people have been convicted under this legislation for criminal offences that the vast majority of Scotland’s law-abiding football supporters and the wider public, consider unacceptable.
“The majority of football fans are well behaved and, as groups representing victims and equalities campaigners have indicated, repealing this law will send entirely the wrong signal to both football and wider society.
“Those advocating repeal have repeatedly refused to explain how they would fill the gaps in the law that will result. The Government’s position remains clear and consistent – songs about terrorism and mocking incidents involving loss of life is not acceptable in a modern Scotland.”