| Publication date | Publication title | Recommendation | Reviewed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd March 2026 | Citing witnesses in the sheriff court | 17. COPFS should: (a) ensure that the processes legislated for in the 2017 sheriff and jury reforms are given effect; (b) publish guidance for staff on the witness engagement process; (c) ensure that there are sufficient resources within the witness engagement team to give effect to this process; (d) monitor that staff in COPFS local offices are following the witness engagement process; and (e) monitor that written records are being completed with witness unavailability. |
||
| 3rd March 2026 | Citing witnesses in the sheriff court | 18. To improve court scheduling: (a) the Scottish Government, COPFS, Police Scotland and SCTS should develop an integrated digital trial scheduling solution that takes account of all witness availability; (b) until such a digital solution in (a) is realised COPFS and Police Scotland should (i) work with SCTS to realise the benefits of the current police witness scheduler application; and (ii) ensure that information is continuously gathered on all witness availability and is provided to SCTS in a manner that allows effective trial scheduling at both first trial assignation and adjourned trials. |
Open | |
| 3rd March 2026 | Citing witnesses in the sheriff court | 19. COPFS should: (a) ensure that staff engaged in sheriff and jury case preparation identify reluctant witnesses, attempt to engage them in the justice process and then, if necessary, cite such witnesses to first diets where appropriate; and (b) work with Police Scotland to ensure that effective processes are in place for the issue and return of executions of service for witnesses cited to attend first diets. |
||
| 3rd March 2026 | Citing witnesses in the sheriff court | 20. COPFS should: (a) work with SCTS to agree an effective national process on the transfer of sheriff and jury cases; and (b) produce guidance for staff on the transfer of sheriff and jury cases between sheriff courts. |
||
| 3rd March 2026 | Citing witnesses in the sheriff court | 21. COPFS should: (a) use the correct form of witness citation in solemn proceedings – as prescribed in the Act of Adjournal (Criminal Procedure Rules 1996 Amendment) (Witness Citations in Solemn Proceedings) 2023/276; (b) audit and ensure that local procurator fiscal offices who may issue ‘on-demand’ citations are using the correct form of witness citations; and (c) work with the Scottish Government and justice partners to ensure that all witness citations are considered and revised where necessary to ensure that they are trauma-informed and use accessible language. |
||
| 3rd March 2026 | Citing witnesses in the sheriff court | 22. COPFS should ensure that correspondence included with the witness citation in sheriff and jury cases makes clear how many days the witness may need to be available to attend court. |
||
| 3rd March 2026 | Citing witnesses in the sheriff court | 23. COPFS should review how citations are issued to witnesses who do not use English as a first language when they have been notified of this by Police Scotland. |
||
| 3rd March 2026 | Citing witnesses in the sheriff court | 24. COPFS should review how child witness citations issued for personal service are prepared, to ensure that police officers are aware that they are serving a citation on a child and allow compliance with the relevant Lord Advocate’s Guidelines. |
Results: 342 found