Early pleas ease pressure on H&S victims
Statistics from the Scottish Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal
Service (COPFS) Health and Safety Division's first year of
operation reveal that more than 20 cases were resolved without the
need for trials by securing early guilty pleas from the accused.
With three dedicated units based in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and
Glasgow, the Division works closely with the Health & Safety
Executive, local authorities and other agencies who report health
and safety cases to COPFS.
The Solicitor General, Frank Mulholland QC, praised the hard
work of the Division's staff and said its success in its first year
proved that specialist prosecutors are making a real difference to
victims and their families. He said, "Everyone has the right to go
to their place of work or about their business and return home
safely and we will seek to prosecute all those who fail to
discharge their responsibilities under health and safety law".
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