Item 4 is consideration of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill. I refer members to paper J2/02/14/10. I am delighted to report that Professor Chris Gane has agreed to be the committee's adviser, which is extremely good news. The main decision, on the list of witnesses to give oral evidence, will be taken when the list of written submissions has been completed. If members are able to provide any initial suggestions for witnesses to give oral evidence, that would give us a bit of advance notice.
For our first evidence session, we should consider people who represent organisations that have a wide remit. They would be able to comment on various parts of the bill. The bill is not about one specific subject; it covers many different subjects. To make maximum use of the witnesses' time and to take as much evidence as possible, we should invite organisations whose representatives can comment on various bits of the bill, rather than on one specific part of it. Some appropriate organisations have been suggested in the clerk's paper.
Are there any other suggestions?
The witnesses whom the clerk has suggested for 15 May are all totally acceptable. At a later stage, we will have to consider organisations such as the Faculty of Advocates and the Procurators Fiscal Society, which are familiar to us from other inquiries. The Glasgow Bar Association would be the best source of information from that area.
Those suggestions will allow us to do some preparatory work on potential witnesses. Members will be able to see the list of people who have submitted written evidence, which will give us another opportunity to select witnesses from a wider pool.
I want to clarify the timetable. Do we have from 15 May until 14 June—when we start stage 2 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill—to take evidence on the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill? Will we complete stage 2 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill before the recess?
We will start considering the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill at the second meeting in June. The aim will be to complete part 1 of the bill before the summer recess. We will do parts 2 and 3 after the recess.
So it will be September before we do parts 2 and 3.
Yes.
The only other organisation that we might consider is Victim Support Scotland. I will let the committee see the list of those who have made submissions. Members can refine our selections at a later date. Are members happy with that?
Do members agree to break for coffee until 11:15, when we will deal with item 5?
Meeting suspended.
On resuming—