Greater protection for child witnesses is planned

Deputy Justice Minister Hugh Henry made the pledge at a meeting of Holyrood's Justice 2 Committee.

Labour MSPs Jackie Baillie and Maureen Macmillan had called for the Vulnerable Witnesses (Scotland) Bill to be tightened.

Under the proposed legislation a friend or supporter will be able to sit with a vulnerable witness.

'Special measures'

There will also be greater use of video links and wooden screens to protect vulnerable witnesses from direct eye contact with the accused.

But children's charities and organisations representing people with mental disorders said the legislation needed to be changed.

Ms Baillie, the MSP for Dumbarton, said the bill in its present form excluded some people.

Hugh Henry said the legislation would be re-examined

She wanted people with a mental illness, a learning disability, and abuse and sex offence victims to be included in the legislation.

She said: "We were much taken by the argument from the Law Society, Enable and others that there should be automatic entitlement to special measures available to those with learning disability or a mental disorder."

But the Labour MSPs withdrew the amendment after receiving a pledge from Mr Henry that the executive would reconsider.

Funding concerns

He said: "I do not necessarily accept that changing definitions in the way suggested would lead to more protection.

"Having said that, I think there is sufficient merit in the argument by Jackie Baillie to look at this again more closely.

"I think that for the bill and the legislation to be endorsed and accepted by people, it's worth us going the extra mile to look, to reflect and, if necessary, to have further discussions."

Last month the Justice 2 Committee said it was concerned that the bill's effectiveness could be challenged by a lack of funding.