Unified Courts Administration In Grampian, Highland and Islands
Issued by the Scottish Government
From today, (Monday 2 June) the Scottish Court Service is responsible for the administration of the former District Courts, now Justice of the Peace Courts as well as Sheriff Courts in Grampian, Highland and Islands. SCS also has responsibility for the Court of Session, High Court and Office of the Public Guardian.
Grampian, Highland & Islands is now the second Sheriffdom in Scotland with a unified courts administration joining Lothian & Borders which became the first in March this year.
The changes are part of wider Summary Justice Reform to transform how police, fiscals and courts handle thousands of summary cases. Summary justice can be defined as all non-jury criminal prosecutions, which accounts for over 90% of all those taking place in Scotland.
From today, Justice of the Peace Courts will operate under the Scottish Court Service in Aberdeen, Banff, Dingwall, Dornoch, Elgin, Fort William, Inverness, Portree, Peterhead, Stonehaven, Stornoway, Tain and Wick. Business from Inverurie District Court will transfer to the new Aberdeen Justice of the Peace Court and business from Nairn District Court and Kingussie District Court will be heard in the new Justice of the Peace Court in Inverness.
Scottish Court Service Chief Executive Eleanor Emberson said: "The Scottish Court Service aims to provide the best possible quality of facilities and support to all courts in Grampian, Highlands & Islands ý the Justice of the Peace Courts, Sheriff Courts and High Courts.
"We want our summary justice system to operate as efficiently and effectively as possible. Unification offers a real opportunity for improvement. Having the courts under a unified administrative structure will help us play our part in delivering speedier, effective justice.
"The changes allow us to further streamline business processes and introduce compatible court technology linking all of the justice agencies involved.
"In developing and implementing these plans there has been a huge amount of participation and co-operation from all the agencies concerned with justice. I would particularly like to thank all the staff involved ý from the Court Service and the local authorities concerned - for their contribution and commitment to implementing these changes." Chief Inspector Cliff Stewart, Criminal Justice and Support Division, Grampian Police, added: "Court Unification is yet another strand in the on-going reform of summary justice within Scotland and one that is fully supported by Grampian Police in its partnership approach to working through the challenges posed by this particular issue.
"The end result will be a more cohesive justice system promoting well-being and safety within our communities and enhancing the quality of life of all those served by ourselves and our criminal justice partners."
In a joint statement, Area Procurator Fiscals Andrew Laing (Highland & Islands) and Morag McLaughlin (Grampian), commented: "Court unification presents an excellent opportunity to rationalise the court administration process across Scotland to make the best use of court time and improve the level of public service to court users and members of the public.
"The Crown Office and the Procurator Fiscal Service has been working closely with other members of the criminal justice system in Grampian Highland and Islands to seek to ensure that the transition runs smoothly and that the desired benefits are delivered to our local communities."
Unification of court services continues as a rolling programme throughout Scotland with the remaining unifications dates as follows: