Overview

• Alex Stewart, formerly Alan Baker, transitioned and changed name while serving a life sentence for the 2013 murder of John Weir.
• A solicitor’s request for previous convictions disclosures in an HMP Greenock case revealed Stewart’s record appeared blank under the new identity.
• COPFS and Police Scotland have initiated joint reviews of their recording and disclosure procedures after correcting the error before trial.
• Justice Secretary Angela Constance has affirmed that criminal records remain intact despite name or gender changes and labeled the lapse isolated.
• The Supreme Court’s ruling against Scotland’s gender self-ID policy has intensified scrutiny of record-keeping safeguards to prevent future concealment.