Related Downloads
Additional
Footnotes
1 Strategic Plan 2023-27 | COPFS
2 Business plan 2025-26 | COPFS
3 Financial Strategy 2024-2027 | COPFS
5 The 10 principles of public sector inspection – Criminal Justice Joint Inspectorates
7 Business plan 2025-26 | COPFS
8 'Becoming Trauma-Informed Part 1' was a preparatory e-learning module which was introduced across COPFS in November 2022 and withdrawn in April 2025 at which point 67% of COPFS staff had completed it. There is also ‘Becoming Trauma-Informed Part 2’ which launched in February 2025 – this comprises two modules (informed level and skilled level) developed by NHS Education for Scotland specifically for the justice sector. As at 22nd August 2025 Module 1 had been completed by 17.73% of COPFS staff and Module 2 had been completed by 20.3%.
9 Review of child deaths and non-accidental injuries | COPFS
10 Sexual Offences Review | COPFS
11 VIA stands for Victim Information and Advice – VIA staff are part of COPFS and provide information on the criminal justice system, updates on court cases, support at court and referrals to other services.
13 IPS Annual Report 2023-2024
14 responding-to-enquiries-29-january-2025.pdf
15 The reduction in all witnesses cited for trial in June 2025 varied from 35% to 39% across the three courts.
16 Lord Advocate’s Reference No. 1 of 2023
17 2024hcjac43-references-by-his-majestys-advocate-against-pg-and-jm.pdf
18 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024
19 Daly (Appellant) v His Majesty's Advocate (Respondent) (Scotland) - UK Supreme Court
20 Lord Advocate statement: Prosecution guidance on public safety and prison population | COPFS
21 Joint review of diversion from prosecution | HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland
22 COPFS piloted a new Witness Gateway digital portal in February 2024 to enhance trauma-informed services for victims and witnesses. The portal enables witnesses to securely access case-related information online.
23 Defence Agent Service (DAS) portal: COPFS developed and launched the DAS online portal in 2023-24 and 2024-25. The portal provides solicitors with secure online access to case information and digital services, supporting more efficient engagement with prosecutors.
24 Digital Evidence Sharing Capability (DESC): in collaboration with justice partners, COPFS launched the DESC pilot in Dundee in January 2023 to transform how digital evidence is managed in summary cases.
25 COPFS worked with justice partners to enable Police Scotland to share Body-Worn Video footage via DESC. A pilot for this functionality commenced in Dundee, Forfar and Perth in March 2025, with a full national rollout scheduled across 2025-26.
26 Crown Counsel are Advocate Deputes who prosecute serious crime in the High Court.
27 CMiC is the use of iPads in court.
28 Under s112 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, IPS has a duty to secure continuous improvement in user focus of our scrutiny functions as set out in the ‘About us’ section of this report.
29 Inspection Framework (2024)
31 ‘Year 2’ priorities are recommendations 2 (a) – (e), 3, 4, 6, 8, 11, 12 (a) – (c), 13 (a) & (b), 16, 19 (a) – (d), 26 and 27.
32 Recommendation 1 (a) – (d).
33 Recommendation 27 – the National Domestic Abuse Forum was established in February 2024.
34 Recommendations 17 and 18.
35 COPFS advise that ‘prosecutor contact’ means a record made of making or attempting to make a call by a legal member of staff in the early stages of the case. This contact is distinct from VIA contact or from any additional/at court contact by prosecutors’. The 74% figure relates to SCM data COPFS wide with the exception of the sheriffdom of Tayside, Central and Fife where SCM is considered to be ‘embedded’.
36 Citations in domestic abuse cases have reduced from 3717 per month (2023-24) to 2513 per month in July 2025 (32% reduction). Domestic Abuse recitations have reduced from 4686 (2023-24) to 2831 in July 2025 (40% reduction).
37 Recommendation 6.
38 Recommendation 23.
39 Recommendation 25.
40 Recommendation 20.
41 Recommendation 21.
42 Recommendation 19 (a).
43 VMP related recommendations are recs 14, 15 (a) – (d), 20, 21 and 22.
44 Recommendation 22.
45 This particularly relates to recommendation 6 in relation to deputes having sufficient capacity to carry out effective case preparation of domestic abuse cases and recommendation 19 communication with victims.
46 responding-to-enquiries-29-january-2025.pdf
47 Recommendation 22.
48 Recommendation 12.
49 Terms of Reference - Citations | HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland
51 Our inspection activity | HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland
53 Our inspection activity | HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland
54 Joint review of diversion from prosecution | HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland
55 Carried out jointly by HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland, the Care Inspectorate and HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland.
56 Those under the age of 18.
57 Guidelines published by Community Justice Scotland in partnership with Police Scotland, COPFS, the Scottish Government and others. The guidelines describe the aims and benefits of diversion, the diversion process and the role played by the police, prosecutors and local authorities.
58 Strategic Plan | HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland
59 Introduction | HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland
60 Welcome | Sheku Bayoh Inquiry
61 ‘Report of the Inquiry into the liaison arrangements between the police, the Procurator Fiscal Service and the Crown Office and the family of the deceased Surjit Singh Chokkar in the connection with the murder of Surjit Singh Chokkar and the related prosecutions’.
65 Joint review of diversion from prosecution | HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland
66 Scottish Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders.
70 COPFS International Co-operation Unit.
71 Advocacy Support Safety Information Services Together.