Status of all recommendations

COPFS should implement IT solutions to:

(a) generate automated countermand emails to civilian and professional witnesses once email addresses are routinely included in police statements; and

(b) ensure that all Police Scotland countermand emails are automated from the COPFS case management system to the appropriate Police Scotland unit.

COPFS should:

(a) review the target for processing countermands to ensure it is assessed from the date on which the decision is made that the witness is no longer required; and

(b) consider implementing automated countermanding in summary cases.

In the interim, COPFS should address and monitor backlogs in case processing to allow countermands to be issued timeously and prior to autocitation for any new trial date.

COPFS should:

(a) develop an automated process to advise Police Scotland when witnesses are countermanded; and

(b) until such a digital solution in (a) is realised, and within three months of the publication of this report, issue guidance and train staff to ensure that Police Scotland is advised when witnesses are countermanded.

COPFS should implement effective quality assurance to consider why sheriff court cases are adjourned.

COPFS should work with justice partners to ensure that, when a trial is adjourned, there are processes for ensuring that trial dates are checked with witnesses prior to being assigned by the court.

COPFS should ensure that there is guidance for administrative staff on when copy documents from the citation storage system and the Legal Document Exchange should be uploaded to the case management system and what information should be provided to prosecutors.