Organised crime and historic sex abuse cases driving Scotland trial backlog

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Organised crime and historic sex abuse cases driving trial backlog49 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleDavid CowanScotland home affairs correspondentBBCThe rise in high court cases is causing pressure across the justice systemThe backlog of trials in Scotland's highest criminal courts has nearly tripled, due in part to an increase in complex cases involving serious organised crime and historic sex abuse. At the end of March about 1,000 trials were waiting to go ahead in the high court, almost three times the number before the Covid-19 pandemic. In contrast, across the whole system, the number of outstanding scheduled trials has fallen to 13,268 - around a third of the backlog's peak in 2022.

Audit Scotland said progress was being made but the rise in high court cases was causing system-wide pressure. Successful prosecutions against gangsters and sex offenders are leading to longer sentences and a prison population which keeps hitting new all-time highs, despite the emergency early release of hundreds of convicted criminals. But for alleged victims, witnesses and the accused, the volume of business in the high court means delayed justice.

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Prisoner numbers at record high despite 600 releases in six monthsTrial delays for most serious crimes set to growAudit Scotland, the public spending watchdog, said the Scottish government and other agencies were cutting the criminal courts backlog and modernising services. But auditor general Stephen Boyle warned a lack of evaluation and public reporting meant it was difficult to know what was and what wasn't working. He said: "In some cases, there are many years that people will have to wait for justice and the longer that is, the more impact that has on victims and witnesses.

"The case hanging over the accused can also have an impact on their employment prospects or their home setting. "There's a clear programme of transformation, but we've seen varying pace of progress. "Getty ImagesAbout 1,000 high court cases were waiting to go ahead at the end of MarchAn organisation which works with victims of crime has called on the new Justice Secretary Neil Gray to take action.

Debbie Adams, interim chief executive at Victim Support Scotland, said: "The reality is that thousands of people impacted by crime remain trapped in a state of uncertainty while awaiting trial. "This means victims have their lives on hold for longer - having to preserve their traumatic experiences at the front of their minds for months, if not years, on end. "Witness attrition, where witnesses drop out of a trial altogether, is a huge risk.

"Audit Scotland said recent rulings could result in an increase in appeals from people convicted of sexual offences and a rise in the number of rape allegations that are prosecuted. The agency highlighted a project called summary case management, which is reducing the number of trials heard by judges in sheriff courts.

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