GO Justice

On 23rd October 2025 GO Justice, in collaboration with the Tumbling Lassie Committee, hosted a panel event to mark 10 years of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015. Held in the University’s Advanced Researched Centre, The panel consisted of representatives from across the sector, namely:

Steven Bertram (Detective Superintendent, Police Scotland)

Paul Harvey (Advocate, Arnot Manderson Advocates)

Angela Maxfield (Trustee, SOHTIS)

Melissa Rutherford (Director, Rutherford Sheridan)

Andy Sirel (Legal Director and Partner, JustRight Scotland)

The panel was chaired by Sheriff Maryam Labaki, chair of the Tumbling Lassie committee. The group, composed of advocates and judges, works to raise awareness and funds in the fight against human trafficking, as well as helping survivors in Scotland and beyond.

 

Following an introduction to the event by Professor Nicole Busby, participants were asked to respond to two questions:

- (1): What impact has the 2015 Act had on your work, and the work of your colleagues? Did it achieve the outcomes or changes that you hoped for, when it was passed? Has it changed the way you approach your work?

- (2): What challenges and opportunities do you see in continuing to combat human trafficking, and to ensure adequate protection and support for survivors of human trafficking in Scotland?

Responses were followed by a Q&A from the audience.

In their answers, panellists reflected on the role of the legislation in raising awareness among practitioners of the realities of human trafficking in Scotland, and its pervasive tendency to hide in plain sight. With this awareness has come greater appreciation of the scale of the problem, raising further difficulties in the fight against human trafficking in the face of an increasing number of referrals.

In light of this increase, panellists drew attention to the innovative structure of the legislation that allows the law to respond to developments in the practice of human trafficking. It is an unfortunate and bleak fact that the perpetrators of trafficking are skilled at what they do, and will constantly be developing their methods, as highlighted by Detective Superintendent Bertram. The ‘living’ character of the legislation, however, provides in s4(2) that all references to holding a person in slavery, servitude or forced labour must be construed in accordance with Article 4 of the ECHR, as noted by Mr Harvey. Thus, as that Strasbourg jurisprudence evolves – as it will to cope with new forms of slavery, servitude and forced labour – the Act itself will evolve.

And yet, there is often a sense that when a case reaches defence counsel, it may be too late. Ms Rutherford drew attention to how many perpetrators of trafficking are themselves victims. Furthermore, Mr Sirel reflected that, given the scale and sophistication of the system of exploitation, it is often the case that people who have been given help may fall back into the vicious cycle of exploitation.

What is clear is that, whilst the legislation has done much work to improve things, we are only beginning to tackle the pervasive problem of trafficking. Those working to end the cycle, represented by the panel, give us much to be optimistic about through their tireless efforts. The road, however, is long, and we have only recently started the long walk down it.

The event was kindly sponsored by Pinsent Masons.

 

 

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First published: 24 October 2025