Time to put justice back in the spotlight

THE distraction of the independence referendum forced one of the key issues in Scottish life today – justice – on to the back burner.

The SNP’s relentless pursuit of i ts separation agenda also allowed the sheer ineptitude of the man in charge – Kenny MacAskill – to continue unchallenged.

The country was shocked by the sickening murder of Madison Horn, battered to death aged only two by Kevin Park who, in a cruel twist, was supposed to be babysitting her while the child’s mother enjoyed a rare evening out.

Now we report that Park was wearing an electronic tag at the time of the killing, following a brutal assault on a former partner.

Further, he had breached the tagging order twice, yet still avoided the jail sentence he so richly deserved. Had he been in prison, Madison might well be alive today.

The Scottish Government is quick to parrot the line: ‘Sentencing in Scotland is a matter for the independent judiciary.’

That i s as disingenuous as it dangerous.

Yes, the justiciary must be independent; but the sentences our judges have at their disposal are provided by the Government.

That is why so many criminals are handed soft-touch community service orders, many of which are simply ignored. Then we have something sheriffs and judges have no say over – even those who are sent to jail can look forward to an early-release regime that neuters the sting of custodial sentencing.

Mr MacAskill is in thrall to trendy theories about ‘justice journeys’ and totally out of step with the public on his view of prison. The public know incarceration is a vital weapon in the armoury of the courts in their fight to keep the public safe.

While Mr MacAskill – who inexplicably led a charmed life under Alex Salmond’s reign – smugly parades his l i beral credentials, his justice system in now horribly skewed in favour of criminals.

It is victims such as Madison Horn who pay a high price.

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