A Wee Chat About Justice

The UK Sex Offender Register (SOR) was introduced in the 1990s to support public protection. In Scotland, this is known as Notification Requirements. In this epsiode we're talking about what the system is and how it came about, we consider the benefits and drawbacks to how it works, and discuss existing research on the systems in the UK and internationally, including reducing reoffending and the i...

We know that social media has played a large part in radicalisation over the years. Continual development of platforms, the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the effect of the attention economy may be increasing the risk of online harm poses to our communities. In these episodes, our Research and Development team talk about online spaces to consider the impact on vulnerable population...

We know that social media has played a large part in radicalisation over the years. Continual development of platforms, the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the effect of the attention economy may be increasing the risk of online harm poses to our communities. In these episodes, our Research and Development team talk about online spaces to consider the impact on vulnerable population...

It's been a long time coming! We're proud to be able to launch our newest online directory, Selecting Approaches for Effectively Responding to Risk (SAFERR). In this episode, Geoff talks to our Researcher Jihad Diab and our Chief Executive Mark McSherry, about the challenges of translating complex information into an accessible online directory. SAFERR is specifically focussed on the implementatio...

In this bonus feature length episode, we're thrilled to welcome Dr Rajan Darjee to the podcast. Raj has worked in forensic psychiatry for over 20 years, beginning in the UK and now more recently working in Australia. Raj has been an Accredited Risk Assessor with the Risk Management Authority, a vital role in the Scottish justice system when an Order for Lifelong Restriction is being considered. He...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere right now - from Chat GPT to helping with complex medical diagnoses. But could it be used in crime prevention - for example, can AI really tell if someone is lying? In this episode the team discuss how AI is being used in the justice system today, and if there are areas it could be used in the future, or if our human bias might affect how it performs.   F...

In this episode the team talk about the unique Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) in Scotland, and the Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) in England and Wales. These are indeterminate sentences - they don't have a fixed release date. The OLR was introduced in Scotland in 2006 and can only be imposed by the high court.  With the OLR, it's possible that the index offence – the crime the indi...

How do we get people to choose to desist from crime? To be ready to change? Can people be 'worn down with kindness'? In this episode, we continue talking to Dr Debra Smith from the AVERT Research Network and Lise Waldek from Macquarie University about their research based on unprecedented access to those who have participated in an Islamist terrorism rehabilitation program in Australia. The team d...

In this episode we speak to two highly experienced experts, Dr Debra Smith from the AVERT Research Network and Lise Waldek from Macquarie University. We discuss their latest research which represents the most comprehensive analysis of any countering-violent extremism program in Australia and is based on unprecedented access to those who have participated inan Islamist terrorism rehabilitation prog...

Can specialist offence courts help improve the experience of victims and witnesses in the Scottish justice system, and could this initiative encourage and empower more people to share their experiences? The Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill was introduced in April 2023 and proposes that there should be a specialist sexual offences court in Scotland. In this episode, recorded in...