Enabling jurors: business regulatory impact assessment

Section 2: Engagement and information gathering

Engagement approach

We have engaged with a number of stakeholders including: SCTS; British Deaf Association; JustSign; freelance BSL interpreters; Deafblind Scotland; and Inclusion Scotland. We will continue to engage with SCTS and stakeholders to ensure jurors’ needs are met and not the purposes of business expansion.

Internal Scottish Government and wider public sector engagement

Internal Scottish Government engagement

We have engaged with other policy areas in the Scottish Government, such as the Equality Unit and BSL colleagues to understand the different forms of support jurors might need and ensuring we have the correct terminology. There is no requirement to engage with Directorate for International Trade and Investment as the policy will only impact jurors in Scotland and will not impact businesses internationally.

UK and Devolved Administrations

We have engaged with colleagues in the UK Government/HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) to understand how similar legislation in England and Wales is being delivered. There is no requirement to engage with colleagues in the UK Government’s Department for Business and Trade as our policy will not impact businesses across jurisdictions/internationally.

Wider Public Sector

We have engaged with SCTS and will continue this engagement so the policy can be rolled out in Scottish courts.

International

As set out above, there is no requirement for international engagement as the policy will not impact international businesses.

Business and Third Sector

We have engaged with stakeholders including Deafblind Scotland, JustSign freelance BSL interpreters and British Deaf association to understand their views on this policy, forms of support that jurors may require, and the terminology used. We will continue to engage with them on policy on the basis of policy development and not for the purposes of increasing or expanding businesses.

Public consultation

We have not carried out a formal public consultation on this policy. However, the SCTS-led 2023 Group that proposed the amendment comprised a variety of representatives from across the justice sector including: the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS); the Judicial Institute for Scotland; the Faculty of Advocates, the Lord President’s Private Office; and the Law Society of Scotland. The group engaged and consulted with various organisations to gather relevant information and insights. This included engagement with the British Deaf Association (BDA), HM Courts & Tribunals Association, JustSign and freelance BSL representatives.