Organised crime and historic sex abuse cases driving Scotland trial backlog
Summary
Scotland's highest criminal courts face a big increase in delayed trials, mainly because of more cases involving serious organised crime and old sex abuse claims. While the overall number of delayed court cases has decreased since the pandemic, the high court backlog has nearly tripled, causing long waits for victims, witnesses, and accused people.Key Facts
- About 1,000 trials were waiting in Scotland’s high court at the end of March, nearly three times more than before the Covid-19 pandemic.
- The total number of delayed trials in the whole Scottish court system has fallen to 13,268, down from a peak in 2022.
- Cases involving organised crime and historic sex abuse have contributed heavily to the high court backlog.
- Prison populations are at record levels despite the early release of hundreds of prisoners.
- Delays in trials affect victims, witnesses, and accused people by causing long uncertainty and stress.
- Audit Scotland says progress is being made but warns that without clear evaluation and reporting, it is hard to judge what improvements work.
- A programme called summary case management has helped reduce trial numbers in lower courts by speeding up evidence sharing and court discussions.
- Officials are considering whether this quicker management style could be used for more serious court cases.
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