8 Quotes by Kenny MacAskill

Our justice system demands that judgement be imposed but compassion be available. Or beliefs dictate that justice be served, but mercy shown. Compassion and mercy are about upholding the beliefs that we seek to live by, remaining true to our values as a people. No matter the severity of the provocation or the atrocity perpetrated.

Our message to the Scottish Diaspora this New Year should be to come home to Scotland.

Transparency is essential ... what we need now is the implementation of the commission's recommendations but they need to be matched by resources from the Executive.

We have been lied to for a generation,

The presumption of innocence remains and protecting those offenders on the register from vigilantes is essential. However there must be a balance, as communities can have rights as well as individuals. Communities have the right to know who is within their midst that may be dangerous, in order to ensure the protection of our children.

This week the Executive had the opportunity to clamp down on this appalling situation but once again it failed to seize the opportunity. It is the citizens of Scotland that will suffer.

Ireland has already shown that you can attract people back home and their economy is now booming. We have to try to do the same here.

These powers may appear Draconian, but when they are weighed against the hardship these people can cause, my sympathies are with the community, not the individual.