Criminal court restrictions to be eased

Since the Government’s national lockdown restrictions were implemented in January, criminal courts have focused on the most serious trials, with the majority of summary trials in the Sheriff Court and Justice of the Peace Court adjourned. 

Having reviewed the COVID-19 transmission levels and the vaccine roll-out with senior public health officials in the Scottish Government, the Lord President has announced that while there is a need for the current restrictions to continue in the short term, there can be a cautious and incremental easing of the current criminal court restrictions: 

• From 19 April, Sheriff Court cited cases will re-start and summary trial courts will return to their pre-January lockdown loadings of three trials programmed with two backup case cases with witnesses on standby. 

• From 7 June, Justice of the Peace Courts will re-start all business.

All criminal jury trials in the High Court and Sheriff Court will continue as planned. All new custody cases and summary custody trials in the Sheriff courts and Justice of the Peace courts will continue to be heard. All intermediate diets, priority trials and remand hearings in the Sheriff Court will continue. 

All High Court criminal and civil appeals and the Sheriff Appeal Court, the Bail Appeal Court, Office of the Public Guardian and Tribunals will continue to operate virtually and remotely, as they have been doing throughout the pandemic. 

Similarly, the vast majority of civil business in the Court of Session, Scottish Land Court and Sheriff Court will continue to be conducted remotely. This includes the All Scotland Sheriff Personal Injury Court (ASSPIC).