Minister for Victims and Community Safety

Politics of Scotland
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The Minister for Victims and Community Safety is a Junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. As a result, the minister does not attend the Scottish Cabinet.^[1] The post was created in May 1999 during the 1st Scottish Parliament as the Deputy Minister for Justice. Deputy ministers were renamed ministers after the election of the Scottish National Party in 2007. The minister reports to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, who has overall responsibility for the portfolio, and is a member of cabinet.^[2]

Overview

The Minister for Community Safety has specific responsibility for:^[2]

Community safety
Access to justice
Anti-sectarianism
Anti-social behaviour
Civil law
fire and rescue services
Liquor licensing
Legal profession

History

From 1999 to 2007 responsibility for Community Safety rested with the Minister for Justice and the Deputy Minister for Justice. The Salmond government, elected following the 2007 Scottish Parliament election created the junior post of the Minister for Community Safety who assists the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, in the Scottish Justice Department. After the 2011 Scottish Parliament election the post was renamed Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs and was given additional responsibilities for tackling sectarianism. It was renamed again to simply Minister for Community Safety in June 2018.^[2]

List of office holders

The incumbent Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs is Elena Whitham MSP who was appointed by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to the role on 3 November 2022.^[3]

Name		Entered office	Left office	Party	First Minister
Deputy Minister for Justice
	Angus MacKay	19 May 1999	2 November 2000	Labour	Donald Dewar
	Iain Gray	2 November 2000	28 November 2001	Labour	Henry McLeish
	Richard Simpson	28 November 2001	26 November 2002	Labour	Jack McConnell
	Hugh Henry	28 November 2002	14 November 2006	Labour
	Johann Lamont	16 November 2006	17 May 2007	Labour
Minister for Community Safety
	Fergus Ewing	17 May 2007	20 May 2011	Scottish National Party	Alex Salmond
Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs
	Roseanna Cunningham	20 May 2011	21 November 2014	Scottish National Party	Alex Salmond
	Paul Wheelhouse	21 November 2014	18 May 2016	Scottish National Party	Nicola Sturgeon
	Annabelle Ewing	18 May 2016	26 June 2018	Scottish National Party	Nicola Sturgeon
Minister for Community Safety
	Ash Regan	27 June 2018	27 October 2022	Scottish National Party	Nicola Sturgeon
	Elena Whitham	3 November 2022	28 March 2023	Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon	Nicola Sturgeon
Minister for Victims and Community Safety
	Siobhan Brown	29 March 2023	Incumbent	Scottish National Party	Humza Yousaf

References

^ Scotland Act (1998), Only those appointed under Section 47 of the Scotland Act "attend" Cabinet. Junior ministers are appointed under Section 49 and may be "present".
^ ^a ^b ^c "Minister for Community Safety". Scottish Government. 27 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
^ https://www.gov.scot/news/new-minister-announced/

External links

The Scottish Cabinet on Scottish Government website
Minister for Community Safety on Scottish Government website

v t e Scottish Junior Ministers
Yousaf government
George Adam (Parliamentary Business) Tom Arthur (Community Wealth and Public Finance) Siobhian Brown (Victims and Community Safety) Graeme Dey (Higher and Further Education and Veterans) Natalie Don (Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise) Joe FitzPatrick (Local Government Empowerment and Planning) Patrick Harvie (Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights) Jamie Hepburn (Independence) Richard Lochhead (Small Business, Innovation and Trade) Gillian Martin (Energy) Christina McKelvie (Culture, Europe and International Development) Paul McLennan (Housing) Jenni Minto (Public Health and Women's Health) Emma Roddick (Equalities, Migration and Refugees) Lorna Slater (Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity) Kevin Stewart (Transport) Maree Todd (Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport) Elena Whitham (Drugs and Alcohol Policy)
Category Politics of Scotland

v <abbr style=";background: #F1948A;;background:none transparent;border:none;box-shadow:none;padding:0;" title="Discuss this template">t</abbr> e Criminal justice system of Scotland
Administration	Scottish Government Justice Directorate Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs Minister for Victims and Community Safety
Investigation	Police Scotland Scottish Police Authority Police Investigations and Review Commissioner HM Inspectorate of Constabulary Specialist reporting agency National Crime Agency
Prosecution	Crown Office Lord Advocate Solicitor General for Scotland Advocate Depute Procurator Fiscal Precognition Criminal law
Criminal courts	Courts of Scotland Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service Scottish Sentencing Council High Court of Justiciary Lord Justice General Lord Justice Clerk Lords Commissioners of Justiciary Act of Adjournal Lord Advocate's Reference Sheriff Court Sheriff Appeal Court Justice of the Peace Courts
Punishment	Scottish Prison Service HM Inspectorate of Prisons Order for Lifelong Restriction Parole Board for Scotland Risk Management Authority Fiscal fine Admonition