Minutes: 29 October 2025

1. Subordinate legislation:

The Committee took evidence on the Early Release of Prisoners (Scotland) Regulations 2025 [draft] and the Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Amendment Rules 2025 (SSI 2025/277) from—

     Angela Constance, Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs and Ruth Swanson, Solicitor, Legal Directorate, Scottish Government;

Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive, Scottish Prison Service.

2. Subordinate legislation:

Angela Constance (Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs) moved—

S6M-19222—That the Criminal Justice Committee recommends that the Early Release of Prisoners (Scotland) Regulations 2025 [draft] be approved.

The motion was agreed to (by division: For 4; Against 3; Abstentions 0). 

3. Subordinate legislation:

The Committee considered the following negative instrument—

Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Amendment Rules 2025 (SSI 2025/277)

The Committee agreed to make no recommendations in relation to the instrument.

4. Subordinate legislation:

The Committee took evidence on the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland General Regulatory Chamber (Police Appeals) (Procedure) Regulations 2025 [draft], the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland General Regulatory Chamber Police Appeals and Upper Tribunal for Scotland (Composition) Regulations 2025 [draft] and the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Transfer of Functions and Members of the Police Appeals Tribunal) Regulations 2025 from—

Angela Constance, Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs and Alasdair Thomson, Senior Tribunals Policy Officer, Scottish Government.

5. Subordinate legislation:

Angela Constance (Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs) moved—

S6M-18945—That the Criminal Justice Committee recommends that the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland General Regulatory Chamber (Police Appeals) (Procedure) Regulations 2025 [draft] be approved.

S6M-18946—That the Criminal Justice Committee recommends that the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland General Regulatory Chamber Police Appeals and Upper Tribunal for Scotland (Composition) Regulations 2025 [draft] be approved.

S6M-19179—That the Criminal Justice Committee recommends that the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Transfer of Functions and Members of the Police Appeals Tribunal) Regulations 2025 [draft] be approved.

The motions were agreed to.

6. Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill:

The Committee took evidence on the Bill at Stage 1 from—

Dr Niina Vuolajärvi, Assistant Professor in International Migration, London School of Economics;

Ruth Breslin, Director, Sexual Exploitation Research and Policy Institute, Republic of Ireland;

Dr Larissa Sandy, Associate Professor of Criminology, University of Nottingham;

Professor Jo Phoenix, Professor of Criminology, University of Reading.

7. Evidence Session (In Private):

The Committee considered the evidence it heard earlier under agenda item 6.

8. Inquiry into the harm caused by substance misuse in Scottish Prisons (In Private):

The Committee agreed to defer consideration of the draft report to a future meeting.