Families back MP's bid to end Crown immunity

Relatives of two inmates who died in young offenders' institution welcome move

- By Richard Elias

THE family of a university student who killed herself in a young offenders' institution is backing an MP's call to change a controversial law.

As it stands, prison authorities' cannot be prosecuted if anyone dies under their care.

This is due to an anomaly known as Crown immunity, which means that because the service is officially under the jurisdiction of the State, it is immune from prosecution.

Due to this current legislation, the family of Katie Allan, who died by suicide in Polmont Young Offenders Institution near Falkirk in 2018, cannot bring a prosecution against the Scottish Prison Service.

Abolished

However, if Katie had been in a private prison at the time of her death, a prosecution would have been be possible.

The 21-year-old's family has been leading the fight ever since for the law to be changed.

Now, her parents are throwing their weight behind a bill proposal that would remove Crown immunity from the prison service in the UK.

Today, Labour MP Blair McDougall will present a 10-minute rule bill to get the protection abolished.