The Scottish Executive is pleased to have been working closely with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland to produce an analysis of the charges of aggravation of religious prejudice.
Section 74 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 came into force in June 2003. The legalisation gives the police powers to add an aggravation of religious prejudice to the primary charge (be it assault, breach of the peace etc).
In June 2005 the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) published the first analysis of Section 74 aggravations covering the period 27 June 2003 to 31 December 2003.
The second analysis Use of Section 74 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 – Religiously Aggravated Reported Crime: 18 Month Review covering the period 1 January 2004 to 30 June 2005 was published on 27 November 2006.