Question reference: S6W-01774
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 23 July 2021
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Current status: Answered by Keith Brown on 4 August 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the planned suspension of most criminal trials for the duration of COP26, how it will help the judiciary catch up with the backlog, and what consideration it has given to expanding the number of High Court trial rooms to 25, which Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service modelling has reportedly suggested would assist with this.
Answer
The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service have already publicly outlined how they will look to manage the impact of COP26 on our Courts. While trials are suspended in the sheriff courts during COP26, the High Court trials will continue as programmed. However, given the proximity of the conference to Glasgow High Court and the potential for disruption, trials assigned for Glasgow during the two-week period from 1 November to 12 November will instead be heard at sheriff courts out with Glasgow. Similarly we have outlined how the additional £50m allocated towards the Justice Recover, Renew, and Transform (RRT) programme, will help drive further reform, including greater use of digital tools and improved support for victims and witnesses. We will also see an increased court capacity from September 2021, which includes the expansion of remote jury centres and a daily increase of 4 additional High Courts, 2 additional Sheriff Solemn Courts and up to 10 Sheriff Summary Courts, all of which will have a positive impact in addressing the case backlog as a consequence of the pandemic. It would be prudent to see how that significant development works in practice before considering what potential and broader impact of any further expansion thereafter might have across the Justice system.