Families waiting eight years for fatal accident inquiries to be completed
Fatal accident inquiries in Scotland suffer from severe delays, with outstanding cases lasting up to a decade and average completion times exceeding three years. This dysfunction prevents timely justice and hampers the collection of crucial evidence, leaving families without answers and failing to learn vital safety lessons. Such delays undermine the system's ability to provide closure or improve future safety protocols. This situation is highly relevant to open data because the lack of timely, accessible inquiry results restricts public scrutiny of institutional failures. When data regarding deaths in custody remains hidden behind prolonged administrative processes, it becomes difficult for researchers and advocates to analyze systemic issues or hold authorities accountable. Transparent, rapid data release is essential for understanding patterns and driving meaningful reform. The Liberal Democrats propose transferring these inquiries away from the Crown Office to establish a new body with strict one-year commencement timelines. This reform aims to ensure results are presented promptly, allowing for immediate public analysis and accountability. By accelerating the process, the government could foster greater trust and enable stakeholders to utilize fresh data for evidence-based policy changes.
Source: scottishlegal.comPublished on 2024-01-05
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