Court pilot rolled out as surgeries cut summary backlog

Pilot "surgeries" at Hamilton Sheriff Court to reduce the backlog of summary criminal cases caused by the coronavirus pandemic are to be extended across the sheriffdom.

Introduced by Aisha Anwar, Sheriff Principal of South Strathclyde, Dumfries & Galloway, the scheme involves weekly, physically distanced discussion between the defence and the prosecution to resolve cases at an earlier stage. It is intended to avoid resolving by an agreed plea only on the day they are due to go to trial, when witnesses have attended unnecessarily and a slot in the court programme has been allocated.

Sheriff Principal Aisha Anwar has now facilitated the surgeries taking place at other courts in the sheriffdom – Ayr, Airdrie, Dumfries, Lanark and Stranraer.

The initiative has proved successful, with almost 90% of cases discussed resolving early, freeing up space in the court programme for significantly more cases to proceed to trial. Approximately 300 cases have resolved in 17 surgeries across the area. In Hamilton alone, the initiative has addressed 10% of the outstanding trials as at August 2020.

Sheriff Principal Anwar commented: "This excellent collaborative effort across the justice sector is making significant inroads into the backlog of trials caused by the pandemic and will increase court capacity in South Strathclyde, Dumfries & Galloway. Not only are the surgeries increasing the efficiency of the courts, but they are also preventing witnesses and complainers from attending unnecessarily. It is a positive outcome for all involved."

Mark O'Hanlon, Dean of the Hamilton Bar, said: "The surgery has saved hundreds of victims of crime and witnesses having to attend trial. It has also allowed accused persons with cases potentially hanging over them for months or longer to have them resolved now, allowing them to get on with their lives. We continue to liaise with our justice partners about other initiatives to further ease the burden on the court system."

Les Brown, procurator fiscal for South Strathclyde, added: "This initiative has encouraged better and earlier communication between the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) and our criminal justice partners, and is shortening the journey time for victims and witnesses.

"The COPFS is committed to working collaboratively with our criminal justice partners in responding effectively to the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic."