HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland have launched a survey asking prosecution witnesses to share their views and experiences of being cited to give evidence in court.
A joint review being carried out by the two organisations will look into how the experience of being cited to attend court can be improved.
It will also consider whether there is scope to modernise and achieve greater efficiency in the citation process.
Anyone who has been cited as a prosecution witness for a sheriff court case in the last three years, is being asked to complete the short survey.
This includes members of the public who have been the victim of a crime or who have witnessed a crime, as well as professional witnesses.
Responses to the survey will help shape the inspection’s findings and recommendations.
HM Chief Inspector of Prosecution in Scotland, Laura Paton, said: “We want people to tell us about their experience of being cited, what worked well and what could be improved.
“The survey will ask people to think about a recent case they were involved in. For those who have been involved in several cases, there is also an opportunity at the end to tell us more generally about all their experiences of being cited.
“Responses to the survey are completely anonymous. We do not ask for anyone’s name or any personal details.
“All the information gathered will be used to help us assess how well the citation process works.”
Two short surveys have been designed.
One is aimed at specifically at police officers and police staff – and will be available to access only via the Police Scotland and SPA Forensics intranets.
The second if for anyone who has been cited as prosecution witness.
The deadline for responding to the survey is Friday, 4 April 2025.
For more information and to complete the survey click here
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