Number of Scots prosecuted rises for third year running

THE number of people prosecuted in Scotland’s courts rose 4 per cent in 2003 to 151,000, according to figures released yesterday.

It was the third consecutive annual increase, but the total was still well below the figure of nearly 178,000 recorded ten years ago.

Annual court statistics issued by the Scottish Executive also show 20 is the peak age for offending, with 6 per cent of all men of that age and 1 per cent of all females being convicted at least once during the year.

Some 87 per cent of people taken to court had either at least one charge proved against them or had a guilty plea accepted, and there was a total of 130,600 convictions, 4 per cent more than the previous year.

Convictions for serious assault, assault, vandalism and offensive weapons all went up - and there were sharp increases in drug convictions (22 per cent) and speeding (25 per cent). But crimes of dishonesty went down by 9 per cent and drink-driving went down by 6 per cent.

Two-thirds of all convictions led to a fine or compensation order, and a total of 16,600 jail terms were handed down, of which 80 per cent were for six months or less.

Community service orders were handed down in 14,600 cases, while there were 900 electronic tagging orders and just under 600 drug treatment and testing orders.

Justice minister Cathy Jamieson said the figures showed police were catching criminals and making cases stick.

And High Court reforms which come into force today will enable courts to deal more effectively with the most serious crimes and most complex cases, said the minister.

She also highlighted recently-announced moves to speed up the efficiency of non-jury courts, where more than 90 per cent of crimes were dealt with.

The official court statistics also revealed that more than half a million parking tickets were issued in four areas of Scotland last year.

The figure was double the number issued in 1999, and brought in revenues totalling 14.2 million for the local councils.

The figures relate to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Perth & Kinross.

In 2003, those councils issued a total of 562,900 parking penalty notices, 10 per cent up on the previous year.

Aberdeen issued 40,000 tickets and raised 500,000, Edinburgh issued 246,000 and earned 6.9 million, Glasgow issued 261,000 and earned 6.4 million, and Perth & Kinross issued 16,000 and earned 400,000.