Punishments available to the courts in Scotland

1. Punishments available to the courts in Scotland

2. punishments • There are a variety of punishments available to judges/sheriffs upon finding someone guilty. Some are outlined below • Copy the following into your revision jotters • Prison – Can range from 3 months to life and reserved for the most serious of crimes • Community payback – orders can vary in length and usually are for less serious offences or when the person does not pose a risk to public safety • Electronic tagging – Allows police to know where someone is at certain times. Very useful for people who only get into bother when they get drunk/take drugs at night

3. Potential exam questions • Describe, in detail, the different punishments available to the courts in Scotland • Explain, in detail, the advantages/disadvantages of prison/alternatives to prison as a form of punishment

4. Life sentences • Recently the supreme court in England ruled that judges can hand out life sentences which mean the person can never be released • Discussion • Should a life sentence mean you are never released from prison? • Take a few minutes to write down your thoughts on this question and be ready to share with the rest of the class

5. Different forms of punishments • Using the three forms of punishment outlined in the first slide, complete the following task • Task • You have been asked to explain the advantages and disadvantages of the three different forms of punishment • Write your answers into your jotter