Announcement on Unification of the administration of the Summary Criminal Courts
In March this year, Cathy Jamieson, Minister for Justice announced a package of reforms to deliver improvements to the summary criminal justice system and procedures, which follow the introduction of reform to the High Court. The overall aims are to improve the system in tackling crime and improve the links between summary justice and local people. An essential part of this package is of course unification of the administration of the summary criminal courts, on a phased basis, sheriffdom by sheriffdom.
The Minister on the 8th December 2005 announced, in the first anniversary Criminal Justice Plan debate, that she has agreed in principle that the first sheriffdom to be unified should be Lothian and Borders, followed by Grampian Highland and Islands.
This decision, which is obviously subject to the passage of legislation, has been made to enable more detailed planning, consultation and joint work with stakeholders and others involved in the court system to commence. This work will be taken forward by a Scottish Court Service led project team who will establish planning and implementation groups in both areas. Unification in Lothian and Borders should be completed within the financial year 2007/08.
One of the benefits of a phased approach is that we can take account of the experience and lessons learned in the first two sheriffdoms in planning for subsequent phases of the unification. We will develop our timetable for unification of the other sheriffdoms beyond 2007/08 to take account of the experience in the first sheriffdoms.
Eleanor Emberson
Chief Executive
Scottish Court Service
9 December 2005