Petitioner: Sarah McHardy on behalf of Families Outside
Status:
Closed
Date Lodged:
07 April 2020
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to make it illegal for any press or media outlet to publish a defendant’s address.
SPICe Briefing (120KB pdf)
Summary
3 September 2020: The Committee agreed to close the petition under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders on the basis that there is an established professional code of conduct, standards and underlying legislation with the intention of ensuring that journalists do not publish personal information such as addresses, unless necessary to identify someone and provision does exist to prevent disclosure of such materials as addresses by law, where considered necessary. Official Report of Meeting 3 September 2020
Written submissions
• Should the press be allowed to publish the address of a defendant in print journalism or wider digital media?
• How would removing the ability to publish a defendant’s address help Scotland fulfil its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child?
• What impact will ending the current practice of publishing a defendant’s address have on the stigma and social isolation experienced by families affected by imprisonment?