Skip to content
Law Society of Scotland
Search
Find a Solicitor
Contact us
About us
Sign in
Search
Find a Solicitor
Contact us
About us
Sign in
  • For members

    • For members

    • CPD & Training

    • Membership and fees

    • Rules and guidance

    • Regulation and compliance

    • Journal

    • Business support

    • Career growth

    • Member benefits

    • Professional support

    • Lawscot Wellbeing

    • Lawscot Sustainability

  • News and events

    • News and events

    • Law Society news

    • Blogs & opinions

    • CPD & Training

    • Events

  • Qualifying and education

    • Qualifying and education

    • Qualifying as a Scottish solicitor

    • Career support and advice

    • Our work with schools

    • Lawscot Foundation

    • Funding your education

    • Social mobility

  • Research and policy

    • Research and policy

    • Research

    • Influencing the law and policy

    • Equality and diversity

    • Our international work

    • Legal Services Review

    • Meet the Policy team

  • For the public

    • For the public

    • What solicitors can do for you

    • Making a complaint

    • Client protection

    • Find a Solicitor

    • Frequently asked questions

    • Your Scottish solicitor

  • About us

    • About us

    • Contact us

    • Who we are

    • Our strategy, reports and plans

    • Help and advice

    • Our standards

    • Work with us

    • Our logo and branding

    • Equality and diversity

  1. Home
  2. News and events
  3. Legal news
  4. COVID police powers review group calling for evidence

COVID police powers review group calling for evidence

16th June 2020 | criminal law | Health

An appeal has gone out to people in Scotland to report their experiences of the use of the additional police powers granted to deal wit the COVID-19 emergency.

The Independent Advisory Group (IAG) under solicitor advocate John Scott QC, which is reviewing the use of the emergency powers within Scotland, is calling for evidence to support its work.

The three main powers the police were given were:

  • to take someone home or take them to be tested if they were thought to be infectious;
  • to close a wide range of non-essential businesses; and
  • to restrict people's rights to move around in public or be part of a gathering.

IAG's main task is to examine the way Police Scotland has used its new powers and the impact this has had on people’s attitudes and behaviours.  

It wants to hear the views, thoughts and experiences – both positive and negative – of those who have had contact with the police in relation to the coronavirus during the lockdown period, which has run since 23 March, and those who have not had direct experience of contact with the police but who wish to express their views.

It is especially keen to hear from those people who have protected characteristics under the Equalities Act 2010 (which covers: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, and sex), and people who may be considered vulnerable or disadvantaged, have hidden disabilities or may otherwise be susceptible to police contact.   

Click here to access the consultation. It will run initially until 1 September 2020, but will be reviewed and extended as required, until the work of the IAG is complete.

Add To Favorites

Additional

  • News and events

In this section

  • Law Society news
  • CPD & Training
  • Blogs & opinions
  • Events
  • 75th Anniversary

Categories

  • civil litigation
  • criminal law
  • employment
  • obituary
  • careers
  • practice management
  • law society of scotland
  • government-administration
  • welfare/benefits
  • family-child law
  • reparation
  • professional regulation
  • property (non-commercial)
  • insolvency
  • consumer
  • human rights
  • mental health-adult incapacity
  • planning/environment
  • europe
  • information technology
  • immigration
  • education-training
  • executries
  • corporate
  • commercial property
  • agriculture-crofting
  • dispute resolution
  • risk management
  • intellectual property
  • client relations
  • tax
  • licensing
  • banking-financial services
  • trusts-asset management
  • reviews
  • opinion
  • For the public
  • Research and policy
  • Regulation
  • Journal online news
  • interview

News Archive

  • 2023
  • 2022
  • 2021
  • 2020
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015
  • 2014
  • 2013

Related articles

  • Jury trials to return to the islands in spring
  • SCTS revises criminal case backlog predictions
  • Current justice funding model unsustainable: MSP report
  • Crime figures up 3% in first full post-Covid year
Law Society of Scotland
Atria One, 144 Morrison Street
Edinburgh
EH3 8EX
If you’re looking for a solicitor, visit FindaSolicitor.scot
T: +44(0) 131 226 7411
E: lawscot@lawscot.org.uk
About us
  • Contact us
  • Who we are
  • Strategy reports plans
  • Help and advice
  • Our standards
  • Work with us
Useful links
  • Find a Solicitor
  • Sign in
  • CPD & Training
  • Rules and guidance
  • Website terms and conditions
Law Society of Scotland | © 2025
Made by Gecko Agency Limited