Police and courts set out the service victims and witnesses should get

Standards of service that victims and witnesses can expect of Scotland’s criminal justice agencies have been published today.

Under the Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2014, a number of organisations within the justice system are required to put down on paper what victims and witnesses are entitled to in terms of level of service.

The standards, which are to be monitored and reported on annually, cover Police Scotland, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, the Scottish Prison Service and the Parole Board for Scotland.

Police Scotland’s standards makes clear that victims will have the option to ask for either a male of female officer to conduct interviews, while the courts service has committed to updating witnesses attending court cases on its progress at least once an hour.

The standards also make clear that victims of offenders sentenced to custody will – under the Victim Notification Scheme – be told by the Scottish Prison Service within 48 working hours if the prisoner has been released, escaped, or is up for temporary release for the first time, among other things.

Victim Support Scotland director of operations, Alan McCloskey, said: “Victim Support Scotland welcomes the publication of standards of service by the organisations involved in the criminal justice system. 

“We believe that all victims and witnesses of crime in Scotland should be entitled to be treated with dignity and respect. These standards are an important step forward in helping ensure that victims and witness have clear information about what is happening in their own case and are provided with access to support.

“They provide information on what individuals can expect in their interaction with these organisations and how to complain if they are not satisfied."