Information for Victims of Crime

The first pillar of the strategy:

Provision of practical and emotional support

The support of victims and witnesses attending court has long been a concern of the Scottish Court Service. The most recent initiative in support of this aim has been the facilitation of the introduction of the Scottish Government funded Witness Service. This service, which is run by Victim Support Scotland, is based in the court building and aims to provide practical advice and assistance to victims and witnesses attending court. The Witness Service is now operating in the sheriff courts of all Scottish cities, and the service will be rolled out to all other sheriff courts by Summer 2002. The Scottish Court Service will work with the Witness Service and ensure that accommodation and access to services are provided.

The Scottish Court Service is committed to providing services which reflect, and are responsive to the needs of victims. These services will be informed by victims themselves, through:

  • Consultation with voluntary organisations with a remit for victims issues
  • Monitoring the feedback received from individual victims who use the courts
  • An annual survey which will be designed to monitor changes in victims' needs, the effectiveness of changes in services and facilities, and the effectiveness of staff training

Through the consultations which preceded the publication of the Scottish Strategy for Victims and the Feasibility study for a Victims and Witness Support Service in Scotland, we are already aware of areas in which we could better meet the needs of victims. We have thus identified a number of ways in which we can develop our services and facilities.

By Autumn 2001 we will:

  • Review the services and facilities within the courts with a view to:
    • avoiding contact between victims and those accused of the crime except where court proceedings require it
    • attempting to prevent secondary victimisation
    • avoiding placing victims under unnecessary pressure

Where this can be achieved without the need for structural alterations, we will implement the desired changes by the end of 2001. Where structural changes are required we will ensure that any new court buildings and that the refurbishment of existing court buildings will include such provision, and we will work to progressively introduce such provision across all court buildings. We will:

  • Develop a victim related performance management framework in order that we can evaluate our progress in implementing this Action Plan
  • Ensure that all witness accommodation in courts is clean, adequate, comfortable and furnished with reading materials; and in all but the smallest courts, refreshment facilities are available for all or part of the day, along with toys for children

By the end of 2001 we will:

  • Review and develop the existing provision for training Scottish Court Service staff in victim awareness to ensure that high standards are set and maintained, and to deliver the revised training to all staff in contact with victims by the end of 2002
  • Ensure the adequate provision of CCTV equipment for witnesses who are to give evidence remotely
  • Investigate the feasibility of providing victims, and the families of murder victims, with a transcript of a solemn trial at low or no cost

By Spring 2002 we will:

  • Explore with the Judiciary and the prosecutors means of reducing lengthy waits for victims at court before giving evidence, and also means of fast tracking cases involving children
  • Agree with the appropriate agencies, protocols for referring victims and exchanging information