PRESS RELEASE

September 9th, 2008

Damian’s Law comes to the Scottish Parliament

Knife campaigner John Muir put forward his campaign for Damian’s Law to the Parliament on Tuesday.

Joined by three of his children, Vicki, Karen and Christopher, Mr Muir was given three minutes to pitch his proposals to the Public Petitions Committee in Edinburgh.

He then took questions from the panel of MSPs who will now produce a report on the petition.

Mr Muir was granted the hearing after handing in a 15,000-signature to the Scottish Parliament back in June.

MSP and convener Frank McAveety described the 50-minute hearing as the longest the committee had ever spent on a petition.

During the hearing, a letter of support was read out from Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNeil, who has backed Mr Muir’s campaign from the start.

After the hearing had been a success for the Muirs, Mr McNeil said: “The brutal murder of Damian Muir in Greenock was horrifying for his family and the wider community.

“The government must ensure the voices of victims, including Damian’s father John, are heard.

“The fact that 15,000 people have signed this petition asking the parliament to consider mandatory sentences for knife crime shows this is a matter that people are deeply concerned about.

“This is the first step in bringing an end to the blade culture that is claiming innocent lives and I hope the parliamentary process supports the will of the people and legislates against those who carry and use knives.”

ENDS