The Minister for Victims and Community Safety is a Junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. As a result, the minister does not attend the Scottish Cabinet.Scotland Act (1998), Only those appointed under Section 47 of the Scotland Act "attend" Cabinet. Junior ministers are appointed under Section 49 and may be "present". The post was created in May 1999 during the 1st Scottish Parliament as the Deputy Minister for Justice. Deputy ministers were renamed ministers after the election of the Scottish National Party in 2007. The minister reports to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, who has overall responsibility for the portfolio, and is a member of cabinet.
Overview The Minister for Community Safety has specific responsibility for: Community safety Access to justice Anti-sectarianism Anti-social behaviour Civil law fire and rescue services Liquor licensing Legal profession
History From 1999 to 2007 responsibility for Community Safety rested with the Minister for Justice and the Deputy Minister for Justice. The Salmond government, elected following the 2007 Scottish Parliament election created the junior post of the Minister for Community Safety who assists the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, in the Scottish Justice Department. After the 2011 Scottish Parliament election the post was renamed Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs and was given additional responsibilities for tackling sectarianism. It was renamed again to simply Minister for Community Safety in June 2018.
List of office holders The incumbent Minister for Victims and Community Safety is Kirsten Oswald MSP who was appointed by First Minister John Swinney to the role on 21 May 2026.
Deputy Minister for Justice NamePortraitEntered officeLeft officePartyFirst Minister Angus MacKay 19 May 19992 November 2000LabourDonald Dewar Iain Gray 2 November 200028 November 2001LabourHenry McLeish Richard Simpson 28 November 200126 November 2002Labour Jack McConnell Hugh Henry 28 November 200214 November 2006Labour Johann Lamont 16 November 200617 May 2007Labour Minister for Community Safety Fergus Ewing 17 May 200720 May 2011Scottish National Party Alex Salmond Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs Roseanna Cunningham 20 May 201121 November 2014Scottish National Party Alex Salmond Paul Wheelhouse 21 November 201418 May 2016Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon Annabelle Ewing 18 May 201626 June 2018Scottish National Party Minister for Community Safety Ash Regan 27 June 201827 October 2022Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon Elena Whitham 3 November 202229 March 2023Scottish National Party Minister for Victims and Community Safety Siobhian Brown 29 March 202320 May 2026Scottish National Party Humza Yousaf John Swinney Kirsten Oswald 21 May 2026IncumbentScottish National Party
See also Scottish Parliament Question Time Scottish Government
References
External links The Scottish Cabinet on Scottish Government website Minister for Community Safety on Scottish Government website