If you are unsure about what information you are looking for, or about how to ask for information, please email or write to us and we will help you.
You do not have to explain why you want information but it might help us in giving you the information you want.More guidance: Freedom of Information (FOI): at a glance
You do not have to explain why you want information but it might help us in giving you the information you want.More guidance: Freedom of Information (FOI): at a glance
It costs you nothing but we might have to charge for photocopying and postage and we will always tell you what that cost is before going ahead.
More detailed information is published in our Publication Scheme.
More detailed information is published in our Publication Scheme.
We must - reply or respond to you within 20 days – that is the rule in the Freedom of Information Scotland Act. If we think there might be a delay we will let you know.
Environmental Information Regulations requests have the same deadline but we can extend this up to 40 working days if your request is complex.
Environmental Information Regulations requests have the same deadline but we can extend this up to 40 working days if your request is complex.
FOI gives you the right to request and receive any information held by public authorities.
We can give you information about:
We can give you information about:
- COPFS administration
- complaints against the police
- criminal prosecution
- deaths in Scotland
- proceeds of crime
- prosecution policy
- prosecution statistics.
We cannot give you information which includes:
- personal information
- information about a third party
- information held by other organisations
- or clearly any information we do not hold - but we will try and suggest someone who can help you.
Sometimes we might not be able to give you information for a variety of reasons including:
- where it will cost more than £600 to locate, retrieve and provide it
- or, repeated requests for the same information.
We cannot give you information which is held by other public authorities who are also part of the Scottish criminal justice system but we will suggest who might be able to help you. This includes:
- the Scottish Government; for
- legislation
- prosecution statistics:
You can obtain statistical information about prosecutions from the Scottish Government Justice Department's Court Proceedings Database: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Police Scotland
- Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS); for
- the outcome of a court case
- sentencing
- the cost of a trial
- Scottish Prison Service; for
- prisoner release dates.
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