Prosecutors warn of rising cases as budget falls

Glasgow Sheriff Court. Picture: John Devlin

PROSECUTORS say they are dealing with a rise in the number of serious criminal cases while the staffing budget tightens.

The increase in complex work coupled with dwindling resources is creating a “huge risk” for the criminal justice system, according to the Procurator Fiscal Society.

CONNECT WITH THE SCOTSMAN

• Subscribe to our daily newsletter (requires registration) and get the latest news, sport and business headlines delivered to your inbox every morning

• You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google +

The body representing more than 350 legal staff, including senior lawyers at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), made the comments in a submission to Holyrood’s justice committee on the draft Budget for 2014/15.

The society said: “While COPFS appear to have received a real-term increase to the overall budget, upon further analysis it is apparent that the amount provided in the budget for staffing remains at £69.1 million.

“In real terms this is a £1.1 million cut in our staffing budget for next year and that is even before pay increases and increased employer contributions are taken into account.

“The obvious consequence of this reduction in staffing costs is that the number of staff will have to decrease, which we believe will have a detrimental effect on our members’ professional ability to prosecute cases in a timely and effective manner, their ability to meet COPFS performance targets and therefore the proper demands of victims and witnesses in Scotland.”

The number of criminal case reports received from the police in 2013/14 rose by around 5% on the previous year to 293,672, the submission states.

There has been a “significant” increase in the number of serious cases that require proceedings before a jury at the Sheriff or High Court.

These include domestic abuse cases which can involve multiple complainers and span several years.