Status of all recommendations

COPFS should develop a process to ensure that autocite is not applied for witnesses whose evidence has concluded in summary trials that are part-heard.

COPFS should investigate why sheriff court citations are issued for personal service other than in accordance with business rules and ensure that remedial action is taken where necessary.

COPFS should:

(a) investigate why on-demand citations are issued and take steps to minimise their use;  

(b) take steps to quantify and monitor the number of on-demand citations issued; and 

(c) work with Police Scotland to ensure that information regarding on-demand citations is recorded on the Legal Document Database/Legal Document Exchange systems.

COPFS should:

(a) introduce and monitor the use of a single document in which all citation records and information are recorded; and

(b) ensure that staff consistently carry out checks on the citation position and record the citation status for each witness in COPFS case management systems.

COPFS should implement and monitor a process to ensure that when witnesses change address, citations are issued to the correct address and Police Scotland staff serving citations are notified of the new address.

COPFS should:

(a) review the use of ‘return by’ dates printed on personal citations and ensure that the purpose of the date is understood by both COPFS and Police Scotland; and

(b) review the use of the term ‘execution date’ in COPFS case management systems.

COPFS should issue guidance in sheriff court cases on how and when citation status should be reviewed.

COPFS should:

(a) ensure that guidance for the witness management team staff is published internally;

(b) implement systems that allow the witness management team to prioritise work by trial date and monitor implementation of this;

(c) create processes to ensure effective information sharing between the witness management team and local offices;

(d) ensure that the witness management team is sufficiently resourced to be able to respond efficiently and timeously to returned citations and executions of service;

(e) prevent citations being printed and issued where there is no known address;

(f) prevent citations being issued to witnesses who have died; and

(g) implement a service improvement process arising from any systemic issues identified by the witness management team.