The Law of Sexual Offences in Scotland
is a comprehensive guide to the law and practice of sexual offences in Scotland. It covers all of the sexual offences in Scots law as well as those offences that, though not strictly sexual offences, are often committed against intimate partners. It also provides an outline of the main principles and sources of evidence in sexual offences cases, and commentary on how the main sexual offences in Scots law are investigated, prosecuted and tried in the Scottish courts.
It covers:
- All of the offences contained in the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 and the main concepts regulated by the Act such as consent and reasonable belief
- The Protection of Children and Prevention of Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2005
- The Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act 2016 and the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018
- The Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015
- Indecent images and pornography offences
- Historical sexual offences
- The use of special measures for vulnerable witnesses
- The sexual history and bad character provisions in sections 274 and 275 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995
- Expert forensic and medical evidence in sexual offences cases
- The operation of corroboration in sexual offences cases
- Sentencing and ancillary orders in sexual offences cases
It is an indispensable guide for those involved in sexual offences cases at all levels of the Scottish legal system.