Status of all recommendations

SPA Forensic Services, Police Scotland and Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service must work together and identify solutions and timelines to ‘stand down’ outstanding interim and exceptional measures, still in place, to support drug driving justice provision.

SPA and SPA Forensic Services should review the drug driving analytical and reporting process and seek ways to reduce costs.

SPA and SPA Forensic Services should review current and future procurement of drug driving analysis outsourcing to ensure best value.

SPA and SPA Forensics Services should consider the available evidence in other jurisdictions to assess the opportunities to reclaim forensic service costs and then work with Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and Scottish Government to establish if this is possible in Scottish criminal trials.

Police Scotland and SPA Forensic Services should improve how drug driving samples are tracked and managed, including the consideration of technological methods such as barcoding, networking and automation of processes and instruments.

SPA Forensic Services, Police Scotland and Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service should consider opportunities for the Joint National Forensic Gateway to effectively manage all forensic submissions, including drug driving.

Police Scotland and SPA Forensic Services should create a priority forensic analysis protocol that would establish high and standard risk categories for analysis and associated timescales for drug driving cases.