Fife to host High Court trials as case numbers across Scotland rise
High court trials are set to be held in Fife.
It is one of four new locations announced this week to allow up to 26 trials to take place across Scotland each day - a rise of ten in total.
Dunfermline Sheriff Court will hear cases from January 2027. Other new venues include Airdrie, Edinburgh and Glasgow Sheriff Courts. An additional Preliminary Hearings Court in Glasgow will also run from Octobe.
The decision has been taken due to a substantial increase in High Court business over the last few years and modelling projections that this will only increase further in the coming years.
The Lord Justice General, Lord Pentland said: “We are dealing with current and projected increases in High Court business which are imposing intense pressure on a system with finite capacity.
“The additional courts have been made possible due to efficiencies created elsewhere in the system, most notably through the Summary Case Management initiative. However, this approach will only get us so far. Modernisation and reform are crucial to resolving the conundrum of how to manage within a tight public sector budget and at the same time continue to improve the quality of our service to the public.” Malcolm Graham, chief executive, Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, added: “Our focus continues to be on striving to reduce the length of time people wait for the outcome of a case.
“Continued pressures on High Court business are only projected to increase further over the next few years, placing further strain on the capacity and resources of the courts. We will continue to work with justice partners to explore further improvements and make the case for sustainable resourcing in order to allow those improvements to be made.
“In particular there is a need for sustained cross-system Scottish Government investment in digital renewal to deliver the efficiencies now required. Investment in modern, accessible, efficient and digitally enabled services across the justice system is essential for people waiting for justice and to avoid delays for victims, witnesses and all who use our courts." While the overall number of scheduled criminal trials has reduced from over 43,000 in January 2022 to just over 13,000, the number of scheduled High Court trials has continued to rise. The number of indictments registered at the High Court is projected to be over 2000 this year compared to 935 in 2023/24.