Community Justice (Scotland) Act 2016

15 National strategy in relation to community justice

(1) The Scottish Ministers must, no later than one year after this section comes into force, publish a strategy in relation to community justice in Scotland.

(2) The strategy may contain such material in relation to community justice as the Scottish Ministers consider appropriate, including in particular—

(a) a statement of the aims of community justice,

(b) action that the Scottish Ministers propose to take, or consider that others should take, to achieve, or support the achievement of, those aims,

(c) action that the Scottish Ministers consider that others should take to facilitate access to relevant general services by persons who have been convicted of an offence following the release of such persons from imprisonment or detention in a penal institution.

(3) In subsection (2)(c), “relevant general services” has the same meaning as in section 1.

(4) In preparing the strategy, the Scottish Ministers must consult—

(a) each of the other community justice partners,

(b) such third sector bodies involved in community justice as they consider appropriate, and

(c) such other persons as they consider appropriate.

(5) Subsection (4) is complied with even if the consultation has been undertaken, or initiated, before this section comes into force.

(6) As soon as reasonably practicable after the strategy has been published under subsection (1), the Scottish Ministers must lay a copy of it before the Scottish Parliament.