These documents are intended to be the last in this series on child witness support and complete a comprehensive set of good practice guidelines to make sure that child witnesses are more supported and less distressed by a whole range of legal proceedings that they may find themselves involved in.

The new documents address the conduct of identity parades involving child witnesses. The guidance document itself is aimed primarily at police officers who are in charge of the investigation and who are conducting the identity parade. There are also complementary booklets for the child witnesses and their parents or carers for the police to use as tools when providing information or talking through the procedure in advance.

The guidance is set within the context of video identification parades which remove the confrontational and stressful aspect of physically viewing the suspect or accused person; and, supports the provision in the Vulnerable Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2004 to allow for dock identifications to be unnecessary where prior identification parades have been carried out and accepted by the accused or his/her agent. The guidance is also relevant to best practice with adult vulnerable witnesses.

In his foreword to the guidance document, the Deputy Minister for Justice said: "I am grateful for the development of this guidance by the Association of Police Officers in Scotland and for all the detailed input by other practitioners in the field, and I am pleased that we continue to work closely with agencies who contribute to improving support for child and adult vulnerable witnesses."

Further information can be found on the Scottish Executive Website at: