Viewpoints: July 2023

Justice woes

News reports have appeared that GEOAmey, which holds the contract to transport prisoners to and from court, is missing more than 50 transfers a week due to staff shortages, causing disruption to court business. The firm claimed it “facilitates the overwhelming majority of escorts across Scotland”. Here’s how it looks to criminal defence lawyers, from Twitter posts in late June:

Ian Moir (@IanMoir5)

“Client arrested in Glasgow yesterday on a warrant for Ayr Sheriff Court. At almost 4pm today they advised they couldn’t bring him to court on the next lawful day due to a lack of available transport! @ScotGovJustice need to take swift action to sort this.

“Despite him being granted bail in his absence to avoid another day in custody he remains in a cell as nobody troubled to tell the police to release him before they went home! Utterly disgraceful.”

Matthew McGovern (@mcgovernlawyer)

“The service GeoAmy are providing @SCTScourtstribs is an absolute disgrace. I’m advised the custody court at Hamilton is STILL waiting for accused persons to arrive from a police station less than 10 miles away. To put this in context, the custody court started at 12pm.

“Update­– the custody court finished at 2220 with the final accused persons arriving in the building at 2200 after the police organised transport for them. Completely unacceptable that everyone else is having to work twice as long to compensate for GeoAmey’s failings.”

Gemma Elder (@gemma_elder1)

“Same in Paisley on Monday. Custodies not collected until 7pm. Arrived at 815. Last custody called appx 10.30pm. Juries and summary trials haven’t been able to run as no staff. Glasgow not much better. ETA on a client coming to Kilmarnock today was 13.15 for 10am hearing.”

Matthew McGovern

“Paisley– like Hamilton– is one of the courts currently implementing the Summary Case Management pilot. There has been no additional funding provided to support the pilot. Expecting solicitors to cover more courts after being in court until 10pm the night before is unsustainable.

“The SCM pilot is premised on cases being better prepared at an earlier stage of proceedings which can’t be done if solicitors don’t have time to prepare the cases. If you want an all singing all dancing justice system, you need to properly fund and run it @ScotGovJustice”

Iain Jane (@IainJane1977)

“Consistently late at Peterhead for either prisoners brought to court or fresh custodies. On Monday a custody for Aberdeen never got there until after 6pm meaning the court didn’t finish until 7pm. Geo-Amey are a shambles.”

And raising other justice concerns:

Ian Moir

“Now got a client trying to surrender to a warrant that shouldn’t have been granted and the police station which is holding custodies and is a main station is locked so they can’t hand themselves in. Beyond ridiculous!”

@DrHannahGraham

“This is interesting. Extradition to Scotland refused on 'humanitarian grounds' after Irish High Court judge notes severe prison overcrowding (citing Barlinnie, Low Moss) and perceived 'poor recognition' of neurodevelopmental and mental health disorders.”

[For report see bit.ly/46xmXMf]