Criminal Court restrictions set to ease from 19 April

Lord Carloway

Having reviewed the Covid-19 transmission levels and the vaccine roll-out with senior public health officials in the Scottish government, the Lord President, Lord Carloway 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 2021, 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 2021, the Justice of the Peace Court will re-start all business

The following guidance sets out in more detail the arrangements which will apply as the restrictions are eased.

• Guidance for Supreme Court Users
• Guidance for Sheriff Court and Justice of the Peace Court Users

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 court 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 (ASPIC).