Courts confirm further steps towards resuming business

More civil business is gradually being undertaken again in the higher courts, the Scottish Courts & Tribunals Service has disclosed through a series of tweets.

An announcement is also due to be made today on plans for a resumption of a level of business in the sheriff courts.

In the Court of Session, nearly all business in the Inner House – which began virtual appeal hearings last week – has been rescheduled, and interested members of the public can now dial in to follow substantive appeal hearings. The Court of Session mailbox has now been enabled to receive emailed documents of up to 30MB in size.

As of yesterday, the offices of the court are able to process summonses lodged for calling. Separate lists will be published today for urgent callings already lodged, which are treated as having already called; actions lodged for calling prior to the closure on 25 March but not then published, which will be treated as calling today (29 April) with seven days from today to lodge defences; and non-urgent callings notified between 25 March and 28 April, which will also be treated as calling today with seven days to lodge defences. Callings lodged from today onwards will follow normal timescales.

The Sheriff Appeal Court is now accepting new notes of appeal. From 11 May the court expects to schedule procedural hearings, and it will contact parties regarding arrangements to proceed by written submission or teleconference.