| Publication date | Publication title | Recommendation | Reviewed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd March 2026 | Citing witnesses in the sheriff court | 30. 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. |
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| 3rd March 2026 | Citing witnesses in the sheriff court | 31. COPFS should issue guidance in sheriff court cases on how and when citation status should be reviewed. |
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| 3rd March 2026 | Citing witnesses in the sheriff court | 32. 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. |
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| 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 |
Results: 377 found