01 Identity
Scottish charity record
- OSCR charity number
- SC017234
- Status
- Active
- Regulatory type
- Standard
- Designated religious body
- No
- Geographical spread
- Operations cover all or most of Scotland
- Volunteers
- 0 volunteers
- Staff
- 0
- Postcode
- EH12 7AN
02 Purpose and work
What the charity exists to do
HLS is the only campaigning organisation dedicated to penal reform based in Scotland. HLS is entirely funded by voluntary donations and the occasional grant. We do not seek government funding so that we can speak out freely on issues of concern. We have been independent since 1979, with our own constitution and a dedicated focus on penal reform in Scotland. HLS seeks to balance the need for differentiation of Scottish Law and Penal Policies from those elsewhere. HLS continues to campaign for: • a reduction in the prison population size, whilst continuing to highlight issues specific to the women’s prison estate • an increase in the minimum age of criminal responsibility, to meet and exceed international standards set by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child • effective community sentences as an alternative to short-term prison sentences • appropriate and proportionate spent convictions legislation.
Charitable purposes
- the advancement of education
- the advancement of citizenship or community development
- the advancement of human rights, conflict resolution or reconciliation
- any other purpose that may reasonably be regarded as analogous to any of the preceding purposes
Beneficiaries
- Other defined groups
- No specific group, or for the benefit of the community
Activities
- It carries out activities or services itself
Constitutional objectives
The objects of the League are to promote humane and rational penal policies in Scotland and to foster constructive policies of crime prevention and rehabilitation.
03 Annual returns
Income and expenditure history
| Year end | Income | Expenditure | Staff | Return received |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 December 2025 | £7,817 | £18,756 | 0 | 20 May 2026 |
| 31 December 2024 | £14,592 | £20,102 | 0 | 30 June 2025 |
| 31 December 2023 | £41,255 | £28,126 | 0 | 10 July 2024 |
| 31 December 2022 | £10,314 | £15,360 | 0 | 25 July 2023 |
| 31 December 2021 | £13,147 | £15,092 | 0 | 26 July 2022 |
Figures are those reported by the charity and supplied in the OSCR bulk download. Blank facts remain distinct from zero.
04 Contact record
Principal office or trustees address
- Address supplied to OSCR
- 25 Traquair Park West, Edinburgh
- Website supplied to OSCR
- www.howardleague.scot
- Parent charity
- Not supplied
No direct external links on this profile. The official OSCR record and source documentation are available through BritDB’s dedicated source page.
05 Provenance
Source for this profile
© Crown Copyright and database right 2026. Contains information from the Scottish Charity Register supplied by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. BritDB is an independent service and does not claim to be the Scottish Charity Register.