Solicitor General Visits Hamilton Prosecution Service

17 AUGUST 2006

SOLICITOR GENERAL VISITS HAMILTON PROSECUTION SERVICE

The Solicitor General, Elish Angiolini QC, met staff and District Procurator Fiscal David Spiers at the Hamilton Procurator Fiscal Office today. The visit is part of a programme of summer visits to local Fiscal offices across Scotland.

The Solicitor General is particularly keen to hear how staff in Hamilton plan to help the department achieve its goal of having persistent offender fast tracking schemes in operation in all areas of Scotland by March 2008. This aim was set out in the department's recently published Strategic Plan 06 - 08.

Mrs Angiolini said:

"Our strategic plan sets out our aims and priorities over the next 2 years. The fast tracking of persistent offenders is a key target that we believe is important to tackle serious crime as well as the anti-social behaviour that can blight our communities."

"I was particularly interested to hear how Hamilton, working in partnership with Strathclyde Police, plans to respond to anti social behaviour in local communities; and to ensure persistent offenders are brought to justice swiftly."

Area Procurator Fiscal Janet Cameron welcomed Elish Angiolini to the Hamilton Fiscal Office. Ms Cameron said:

"I am delighted to welcome the Solicitor General to the Hamilton office. Lanarkshire is the home of the Youth Court Pilot, at Hamilton & Airdrie, where teams from the Procurator Fiscal service are working closely with criminal justice partners to tackle persistent offending among 16 and 17 year olds. Research has found that the Youth Court procedures are operating effectively and initial indications of their impact on youth crime are encouraging."

"I am also pleased to report that Hamilton is exceeding the departmental target of taking and implementing a decision in 75% of cases in 5 weeks. In the first quarter of this year, Hamilton were dealing with 80% of cases in 5 weeks. This is speeding up the process of dealing with criminal reports which is also helping us deal with persistent offenders more quickly."

Notes to editors:

1. The strategic plan was launched on the 26th of July 2006. The Strategic Plan 2006-2008 can be viewed on the COPFS website at
www.copfs.gov.uk/publications

2. The Strategic Plan 2006-2008 outlines how the COPFS will develop over the next few years. In particular the department will focus on:

  • using the full extent of the law to tackle serious and organised crime by continuing to develop the work of the Civil Recovery and Financial Crime Units to achieve a sustained increase in the numbers of assets seized and recovered;
  • replicating the success of High Court reforms at Sheriff and District Court level by having 60% of these cases disposed of within 26 weeks of the date of caution and charge by March 2008;
  • improving the service provided to victims, witnesses and next of kin;
  • securing the confidence of our diverse communities by improving the delivery of justice through the timely, efficient and effective prosecution of crime;
  • continuing to listen to frontline staff to identify improvements to working practices and working environment.

3. Hamilton Procurator Fiscal Office is part of the Lanarkshire area. It is the third-largest (Glasgow and Edinburgh are larger) Procurator Fiscal's Office in the country, employing 102 members of staff and dealing with about 27,000 police reports each year.

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www.copfs.gov.uk