Jim Wallace said the bill is significant

A motion in the name of Justice Minister Jim Wallace was passed with 71 votes for, none against and 15 abstentions.

Ministers hailed the Criminal Justice Bill as a significant piece of legislation which will introduce new rights for victims of crime and stricter controls on dangerous criminals.

However, it has not been without its critics and flagship plans to outlaw the smacking of children under the age of three were thrown out during the bill's lengthy consultation phase.

The bill's key proposals include measures to tackle sectarian behaviour, a ban on certain forms of physical punishment, longer sentences for wildlife criminals and new powers to tackle human trafficking.

Victims will now have a stronger voice in the criminal justice system, and will be able to get information about the release of their assailants Jim Wallace, Justice Minister

The legislation will mean new orders for lifelong supervision of sex offenders and will allow electronic tagging to help monitor dangerous criminals following release from prison.

Victims of crime will be able to make impact statements to court, which a judge will consider if a conviction is secured and before passing sentence.

Police chiefs will be allowed to employ civilians as "police custody and security officers", with search and restraint powers, to carry out certain duties such as transferring prisoners to court, in a bid to free up police for frontline duties.

Among the final amendments accepted were new powers to issue electronic search warrants and a duty for local councils to publish antisocial behaviour strategies.

The bill has undergone line-by-line scrutiny

Also accepted was an amendment ensuring new prison sentences and increased fines for wildlife criminals would be in place by the spring - when egg thefts and similar offences are most common.

Mr Wallace said: "There will be greater protection from dangerous offenders through the new and innovative high-risk offenders strategy, which includes a new lifelong sentence of an order for lifelong restriction.

"Victims will now have a stronger voice in the criminal justice system, and will be able to get information about the release of their assailants.

"Those who are involved in the abhorrent practices of child pornography and trafficking in prostitution will be liable to heavy prison sentences, and we are developing the electronic tagging arrangement and enhancing the arrangements for criminal record checks for those who work with children and vulnerable people."

Despite some failings in the bill, it has the support of the SNP Roseanna Cunningham SNP

The SNP said many of the bill's provisions had been SNP policy for some time, including lifelong supervision for sex offenders and the rollout of special drugs courts, while the Tories described the legislation as "an opportunity lost".

Scottish National Party (SNP) justice spokesperson Roseanna Cunningham said: "This is a bill which contains within it many changes for which I and my party have been pushing for some time, some of them since a time long before members of the executive parties had been won over, and so despite some failings in the bill, it has the support of the SNP."

But the Tory's Bill Aitken said the bill would not do enough to make Scotland a safer place.

'Opportunity lost'

He said: "The opportunity was there to make the streets of Scotland safer, to provide a more realistic approach to our criminal justice system and to support those who are in the front line in the battle against crime.

"Under all of these headings the legislation is a lamentable failure."

George Lyon, Lib Dem MSP for Argyll and Bute, welcomed the measures introduced to tackle the physical abuse of children.