Lord Advocate defends COPFS record
26 Oct 04
Prosecution service passes sheriff court target but misses on High Court
Lord Advocate Colin Boyd has defended the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service after it was revealed that the department has failed to meet its target of bringing four out of five of Scotland's serious crimes to court within nine nonths.
The figures, released inthe COPFS' annual review, showed that 57 per cent of those facing appearances in the High Court appeared within that period of time.
However, the figures did reveal that the COPFS exceeded its target of bringing 80 per cent of cases to the sheriff courts within nine months. The department had passed its target by 7 per cent.
The Lord Advocate said: "The review demonstrates that the department has made good progress during the year with our programme of modernisation. Clearly there is more still to do but I am confident that we can continue building an efficient, responsive prosecution service for the people of Scotland."