In a recent article, you quoted Andrew Coyle, director of the International Centre for Prison Studies, at King's College, London, as saying: 'In Scotland, the sentence begins when it is delivered, and does not take into account time spent on remand' (see [2004] Gazette, 5 February, 23).

I am afraid that, as a statement of fact, that is quite wrong.

When a prisoner has been held on remand, any custodial sentence will be expected to be ordered to run from the date on which the remand began, and if not, then the sentencing judge is expected to give clear reasons for departing from the norm.

Simon Fraser, sheriff of North Strathclyde at Dumbarton