SCTS News

Following the successful inaugural virtual court, the Bail Appeal Court will now convene daily with the presiding appeal sheriff, clerk of court, prosecutor and defence counsel or solicitors all participating remotely.

The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service has published ‘COVID-19 Respond, Recover and Renew – Supporting Justice through the pandemic and beyond’. The report sets out the steps taken by SCTS to manage COVID-19, the steps being taken to manage recovery and how we can draw on those experiences and lessons to build a more just, resilient and efficient system, working in collaboration with others across the justice system. To support the publication of the report, four analytical modelling reports for High Courts, Sheriff Solemn, Sheriff Summary and Justice of the Peace Court trials have also been published.

The Lord Justice General, Lord Carloway, has agreed a recommendation from the Restarting Solemn Trials Working Group for an innovative new approach for High Court jury trials in Scotland that will create remote jury centres.

The first localised lockdown in Aberdeen last week underlines that COVID-19 still exists within our communities and just how quickly events can change.

Following today's announcement that there is to be a local lockdown in the City of Aberdeen local authority area as a result of increasing Covid-19 cases, the SCTS confirms that, as far as is possible, the court in Aberdeen will continue to operate for business.