30,000 Scots Back Knife Crime Change Amendment Bid to Criminal Justice Bill

Scottish Labour in Holyrood today formally lodged their bid to introduce mandatory minimum sentences for knife criminals.

Labour’s amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill was lodged at Holyrood on Wednesday after the party’s ‘Carry A Knife – Go To Jail’ campaign was supported by almost 30,000 Scots.

The amendment – if passed – will ensure that anyone found guilty of carrying a knife would get a mandatory minimum sentence of at least six months but judges could jail knife criminals up to a four year maximum.

Wendy Alexander said:

“Labour took action on knife crime in government – we doubled sentences and led successful knife amnesties but it’s clear that more now needs to be done. Today we are making it clear that if you carry a knife you should go to jail.

“I am also committed to improving education around violence and knife crime. It is always better if people don’t carry a weapon in the first place and there needs to be a sustained effort on educating people about the effects of knife crime to persuade them not to pick up a blade in the first place.

“There needs to be a consistent approach and certainty that unless there are exceptional circumstance those who carry knives will face a prison sentence and the approach that  we are taking will put knife crime on the same footing as firearms offences.

“The people have said that enough is enough on knife crime and other parties will now be judged on how they react to Labour’s proposal.”
 
“The Tories talk about tackling knife crime but so far they have done absolutely nothing. Our proposal is on the table which 30,000 Scots support.”