Related Downloads
Additional
Footnotes
1 Specialist reporting agencies are those non-police agencies which have a role in investigating crime and reporting it directly to COPFS.
2 See, for example, Appeals by William John Quarm and others [2024] HCJAC 15.
3 Scottish Parliament Official Report, 16 January 2024 from column 11; and 16 May 2024 from column 65.
4 Criminal Justice Committee Official Report, 25 October 2023 from column 35.
5 Letter from the Crown Agent to the Convener, 7 March 2024; Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs to the Convener, 15 April 2024.
6 COPFS, Case processing statistics 2019 to 2024 (2024).
7 Scottish Government, Scottish Budget 2024-25 (2023).
8 IPS, Inspection Framework (2024).
9 Data supplied to IPS by COPFS.
10 COPFS, Domestic abuse and stalking charges in Scotland 2022-23 (2023).
11 Data published by SCTS indicates that 95% of domestic abuse cases are heard at sheriff summary level. SCTS, Courts data Scotland: Criminal (Edition 24) Annual Bulletin (2024).
12 The pilot aims to reduce the number of cases set down for trial unnecessarily and reduce the volume of late pleas of guilty and late decisions on discontinuation. A key feature of the pilot is the early disclosure of key evidential material and early judicial case management.
13 COPFS, Business Plan 2024-25 (2024).
14 IPS, Inspection of COPFS practice in relation to sections 274 and 275 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (October 2022).
15 COPFS, Strategic plan 2023-27; COPFS, Business plan 2024-25.
16 IPS, Inspection of the management by COPFS of criminal allegations against the police (September 2021).
17 IPS, Terms of Reference – Responding to enquiries: service delivery through National Enquiry Point (2024).
18 IPS, HMICS, Care Inspectorate & HMIPS, Joint review of diversion from prosecution (February 2023).
19 IPS, Inspection Framework (2024).