Minutes: 21 May 2025

1. Decision on taking business in private:

The Committee agreed to take item 3 in private.

2. Non-fatal strangulation:

The Committee took evidence on non-fatal strangulation, including on Petition PE2136 to make this a standalone criminal offence in Scotland, from—

Fiona Drouet, Petitioner and CEO and Founder of EmilyTest;

Fiona McMullen, Operations Manager, ASSIST;

Professor Cath White, Medical Director, Institute for Addressing Strangulation;

and then from—

Dr Emma Forbes, National Lead for Domestic Abuse, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service;

Detective Superintendent Adam Brown, Police Scotland;

Detective Superintendent Lindsay Fisher, Public Protection Branch, Police Service of Northern Ireland;

Liliana Torres Jimenez, Criminal Policy Executive and Secretary of the Criminal Law Committee, Law Society of Scotland.

Ben Macpherson indicated that he is registered on the Law Society of Scotland's roll of Scottish solicitors. Liam Kerr indicated that he is registered with the Law Society of Scotland but does not practise criminal law. 

3. Non-fatal strangulation (In Private):

The Committee considered the evidence it heard earlier under agenda item 2. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government and the Lord Advocate on the issue and to keep Petition PE2136 open.

4. Work programme (In Private):

The Committee considered its work programme. The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish and UK Governments, the Lord Advocate and Police Scotland and seek their views on various issues raised in evidence on post-Brexit justice and policing cooperation between Scotland and the EU. The Committee also agreed to write to various committees of the UK Parliament to highlight these issues as part of their scrutiny function on the work of the UK Government’s review with the EU on the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.