Wheels of Scottish justice turn a little slower than last year but case numbers still above target

Scotland's chief statistician said almost three-quarters of summary cases moved from caution and charge to verdict within the 26-week target in 2010-11.

That was a 3 per cent fall compared with the previous year, but still above the 69 per cent target figure.

Summary cases involve less serious charges than solemn ones and are heard by a sheriff or justice of the peace without a jury.

The Scottish Government is keen to speed up the court process to save money and the time of police officers who are called as witnesses, often to cases which are then postponed.

However, the courts' performance dipped further in the period January to March 2011, when 72.6 per cent of summary cases were completed within the target time.

The chief statistician also found the percentage of cases received by Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) within 28 days of earliest caution and charge was 88, while the proportion of accused whose summary criminal cases were disposed of - when they were sentenced - within the target 20 weeks was 76.8 per cent.

The report also found that 55,981 police reports were submitted to COPFS in the first three months of this year, compared to 57,801 in January to March 2010.