Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Act 2025

The Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 has received Royal Assent, a landmark moment for justice reform in Scotland. 

These are long-overdue changes that reflect years of advocacy from survivors, frontline services, and justice reform campaigners. 

This wide-reaching legislation will: 

• Abolish the ‘not proven’ verdict, disproportionately used in sexual offence cases 

• Establish a specialist sexual offences court 

• Appoint a Victims and Witnesses Commissioner for Scotland 

• Embed trauma-informed practice across criminal and civil proceedings 

• Strengthen victims’ rights to information, including around plea deals and trial outcomes 

• Improve protections for survivors of domestic abuse, including around Non-Harassment Orders and cross-border protective orders 

However, as we know, legislation alone won’t fix a system that too many survivors describe as re-traumatising, confusing, and unsafe. 

We welcome the Act’s commitment to trauma-informed practice and the right to referral to victim support services. But we must go further. Domestic Abuse Court Advocacy for survivors of domestic abuse is still not available across Scotland. That must change, and it must be properly resourced. 

We also need consistency. Survivors seeking protection through Non-Harassment Orders should not face a postcode lottery. Every survivor deserves safety, no matter where they live. 

This Act is a step forward. Now we must ensure it’s implemented with care, urgency, and an understanding of the realities survivors face every day. 

At SafeLives, we remain committed to working with partners across Scotland to improve the journey of victims and survivors of domestic abuse. You can learn more about our Domestic Abuse Court Advocacy (DACA) work, in partnership with ASSIST, here.