Summary Justice Reform
Court Unification.
The Scottish Court Service (SCS) is an Executive Agency responsible for the speedy, efficient and cost effective administration of most of Scotland's courts.
These include the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary as well the Offices of the Accountant of Court and Public Guardian and, 49 Sheriff Courts.
Scotland's District Court Commission areas have been administered since the 1970s by their local authorities, an arrangement set to change under the new Act.
In a significant move to be phased over the next few years, SCS's administrative responsibility will be extended to include all of those District Courts.
This has wide-ranging implications. It will, for the first time in Scotland, create a unified court system under a single administration. It will involve the eventual transfer of an estimated 250 District Court posts throughout Scotland to the SCS payroll.
This major change has been addressed by the Agency's setting up of a court unification programme in 2004 taken forward by a dedicated project team including District Court representation.
Later another project team group, focussed on to the way fines are paid and enforced in Scotland, was established to take this work forward.
Much progress has now been made in planning court unification and by the end of 2008 half of the Sheriffdoms in Scotland will have a unified administration.
Lothian and Borders unified their court administration on 10th March 2008 and the Sheriffdom of Grampian Highlands and Islands will unify on 2 June 2008. Glasgow and Strathkelvin began a consultation on proposals for that Sheriffdom in May 2008 with plans for implementation by December 2008.
The programme of court unification has involved detailed discussion with staff involved and input from a wide range of court partners and stakeholders.
And it promises a number of important benefits including:
A single one-stop shop for court users: currently many people find it difficult to differentiate between the responsibilities of District and Sheriff Courts.
Clarity in terms of accountability: with all courts being managed by a single agency, the SCS.
An integrated IT system: offering the opportunity for greater efficiency.
Improved career opportunities for District Court staff: joining a larger court service with excellent and well established staff training programmes.
Improvements to the quality and fabric of some District Courts.
Preparatory work for the unification programme has been extensive and carried out in a spirit of partnership supported by a series of roadshows and a publicity programme designed to provide answers to staff questions.