As part of our ongoing commitment to evolving services to meet the needs of our service users, the Sheriff and Justice of the Peace Courts are amending the opening hours of public counters and phone lines at all sheriff courts. Effective from 30 September 2024 the new hours will be from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. 

Over the last decade there has been a significant shift in the way we can deliver our services to suit changes in public preferences. The introduction of civil online, the ability to pay endorsable fines online and the recent enhancements to the SCTS website mean that some of our services are now available 24 hours per day. At the same time, we have seen an increase in the use of email correspondence, a reduction in phone inquiries and a reduced demand for our in-person counter service.

By adjusting our hours of counter and phone line opening, we aim to better align our services with the needs of our users and ensure that we are available during the times when demand is highest. The new contact hours follow a review of user demand by a working group comprising of Sheriff Clerks from all Sheriffdoms.

“Service user needs are at the centre of everything we do, we are committed to providing the best possible service to our users,” said Paul McKinlay, Director of Operations Delivery for the Sheriff and Justice of the Peace Courts “These new hours will allow us to focus our resources more effectively for service users and, allied to the availability of on-line services, ensure that we continue to meet the varied needs of our users”