1st Meeting of the Equality Advisory Group
Minutes of meeting - 06 June 2003
Present: Rowena Arshad (Chair)
Len Higson
Alastair Carmichael
Dr Elinor Kelly
Rohini Sharma JP
Jonathan Squire
Barney Crockett
Mukami McCrum
Alasdair Ferry
Hazel Scott (minutes)
Apologies: Morag McLaughlin
Jonathan Squire
Introduction and welcome
1. The Solicitor-General attended at the start of the meeting and welcomed everyone to the meeting and discussed the commitment of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to ensuring equality. Thereafter the Solicitor-General left to attend to other business.
2. Rowena Arshad welcomed everyone to the meeting and indicated that there will be discussion of the remit of the Group.
Overview of the structure of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS)
3. Alastair Carmichael provided an overview of the structure and work of COPFS.
The Role of the Diversity Team
4. Alastair Carmichael provided an overview of the role of the Diversity Team.
Role of the Equality Advisory Group
5. The group agreed that:
· over the first 12 months the work of the Group will concentrate on racial issues.
· after this initial period the group will broaden their focus to include other diversity issues. such as disability, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and race. The group was also informed that the Training on diversity would be provided for PFs.
· the primary focus for Year 1 was on race related matters that other diversity issues may be looked at by the group but depth commentary on them will be drawn from other groups currently set up to provide information and advice on those issues. This is likely to be particularly the case for legislative and policy issues on sectarianism currently pending.
· the work carried out by the Group will be reviewed annually.
· membership of the Group will last for approximately 2 years.
Remit & Membership
Remit
6. The group agreed that its remit would be to provide independent expert advice to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service on:
· the impact or likely impact of its existing and future policies and practices on equality issues; and
· any racial, religious and cultural issues which arise in criminal cases; and
· the needs of victims, witnesses, bereaved relatives and accused persons from any ethnic or religious community.
Membership
7. The membership of the Group was considered with regard to size and workability. It was decided that if the Group were too large it would be difficult to reach consensus on issues and the current numbers within the Group was agreed to be appropriate. The Group agreed that they would be able to invite others in at a later stage if it was necessary to be informed on certain topics.
Administrative details
8. It was decided that:
· all reasonable expenses will be met. Travelling expenses will be paid at the rate of 40p per mile, or the cost of standard rate public transport.
· working as a member of this Group will preclude the acceptance of financial rewards resulting from the membership.
9. The Group also discussed the appropriate levels of confidentiality, which should be adopted.
Action: Alastair Carmichael will provide details of this for the next meeting.
Forthcoming agenda items
10. The group discussed possible forthcoming agenda items.
Frequency of meetings/location
11. The Group decided that it would meet quarterly and that meetings will be rotated between Glasgow Procurator Fiscal's Office and Crown Office in Edinburgh.
Role of the Secretariat
12. Action: Alastair Carmichael undertook to get papers for discussion to members of the Group as the subjects arose and to provide with each a briefing note on Crown Office policies, including background, practice and possible future policies.
Annual Reports
13. The Group discussed whether there could be any briefing beyond the information contained in the COPFS annual reports.
Action: Alasdair Ferry will collate information on racially motivated crime, with particular reference to the types of locations where these crimes tend to occur, the proportion of cases, which go to court and court outcomes.
Any Other Business
14. The issue of asylum seekers and refugees was discussed.
15. The Group also discussed Children's Hearings and those situations where families actively encourage or force their children to commit crimes because they are under 16 years of age. It was considered that this is a problem which affects all communities.
16. The terminology of ethnicity and diversity was discussed and it was thought that this could be linked in to Alasdair Ferry's presentation for the next meeting.
Date of next meeting
17. The next meeting will be held on 19th September 2003, from 9.30am - 3pm at the Procurator Fiscal's Office, Ballater Street, Glasgow.
31 July 2003