| Publication date | Publication title | Recommendation | Reviewed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd March 2026 | Citing witnesses in the sheriff court | 33. COPFS should cite professional witnesses by email and ensure that there are consistent and effective national standby arrangements for these witnesses. |
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| 3rd March 2026 | Citing witnesses in the sheriff court | 34. The Scottish Police Authority Forensic Services should develop a consistent national approach and administrative process to manage court witness citations issued to forensic scientists. |
Open | |
| 3rd March 2026 | Citing witnesses in the sheriff court | 35. Police Scotland should: (a) explore whether a policy is required for police officers who incur carer costs, which cannot then be reimbursed when they are countermanded as a witness at short notice; and (b) consider whether there is a need to clarify its policy on maternity procedures in relation to the process and impacts of being cited to court as a police witness while on maternity leave. |
Open | |
| 3rd March 2026 | Citing witnesses in the sheriff court | 36. COPFS should: (a) ensure that local offices are sufficiently resourced to allow for effective and timely case preparation including citation related issues and monitor key stages of case preparation, including (i) issue of citations, (ii) preparation of cases for court, and (iii) response rates for excusals and countermands as indicators of resource issue; and (b) consider and monitor the role of the office depute. |
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| 3rd March 2026 | Citing witnesses in the sheriff court | 37. In order to improve the witness excusal process: (a) COPFS and Police Scotland should review, update and implement the ‘The Joint Protocol for the Excusal of Police Witnesses from attending Court between Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the Police Service of Scotland’ dated August 2013; (b) within six months of the date of this report, COPFS should implement a consistent national process on responding to sheriff court excusals and monitor compliance; (c) COPFS should ensure that any targets set in relation to excusals can be measured and are achievable; and (d) the importance of processing of excusal requests and the impact of not doing so on the justice system should feature in COPFS depute induction training packages and relevant administrative courses as per recommendations 6 and 10. |
Open | |
| 3rd March 2026 | Citing witnesses in the sheriff court | 38. 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. |
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| 3rd March 2026 | Citing witnesses in the sheriff court | 39. 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. |
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| 3rd March 2026 | Citing witnesses in the sheriff court | 40. 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. |
Results: 342 found