Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Mainstreaming and Equality Outcomes Progress Report 2023-2025

I am delighted to introduce the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s (COPFS) seventh report on our efforts to mainstream equality, diversity and inclusion.  I hope this report will provide reassurance that we continue to adopt a strategic approach to our work.  We have focused on a sustainable framework which seeks to promote equality and inclusion for all members of our workforce and the diverse communities we serve.  I trust that this report will also provide you with an assurance that COPFS is an inclusive employer and that we remain firmly committed to advancing equality across Scotland for all those requiring our services.

Our role requires us to act fairly and without bias at all times and we remain fully committed to fulfilling our duties under the Equality Act 2010 as both prosecutors and as employers. 

Our current Equality Outcomes, published in April 2021, were designed to demonstrate the importance of equality in our service delivery; in the continued development of our workforce; in recruitment and profile; in our collaborative working and in the development of our policies and practice.  This report will provide you with an update on the actions we took between May 2023 and April 2025 to meet our current equality outcomes.

We remain committed to obtaining external evaluation of our efforts to promote equality, diversity and inclusion.  Since the introduction of the Equality Act (2010), we have received national recognition for our work from organisations including enei (Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion) and Carer Positive Scotland.  In 2023 we achieved our first Gold Standard Award in the enei TIDE (Talent Inclusion and Diversity Evaluation) benchmarking process and I was delighted when we repeated this achievement again in 2024.    

We now have a long tradition of working with enei but this is just one of our long-term commitments to improving equality and inclusion across all aspects of our roles and responsibilities as both a prosecution service and an employer.  The sustainable framework I have referenced is demonstrated in many ways throughout this report including our Equality Ambassador programme which now has 118 members, our Staff Equality Networks which have grown to 13 thriving and fully engaged support groups, and our annual staff Equality conference.  This is now live streamed across COPFS allowing for full staff participation, and which culminates with our Equality Awards. 

The Awards recognise the efforts of staff to promote equality both internally and externally and rewards staff not only for their innovation but also their kindness and thoughtfulness towards others.  This conference provides an excellent opportunity for us to reflect and be inspired and challenged by external speakers and our own colleagues who are passionate about the protected characteristics they represent.  

I would also like to highlight one of the important roles our Equality ambassadors perform and that is their participation in our long running two-way mentoring programme.  These 118 ambassadors represent a truly diverse range of characteristics and provide significant and insightful personal mentoring to our senior staff.  As someone who has engaged regularly in this programme, I can honestly say that I have benefited enormously from the insights and also the challenge I have received from our ambassadors and have a far greater appreciation of the challenges they face in a society where they find themselves all too often facing discrimination and stereotyping.  

I am delighted we continue in our efforts to help educate young people on equality through our National Public Speaking Competition which began as a Glasgow based competition in 2012 and is now a national event.  Secondary students from across Scotland are asked to present on topics of equality and inclusion whilst introducing them to the possibility of a career in criminal justice with the final taking place in Edinburgh at Parliament Hall.  In 2024 we also hosted a further event in partnership with Epilepsy Scotland to provide an opportunity for secondary school children with epilepsy to compete and all those present were once again impressed by the thoughtful and high-quality presentations delivered by the competitors.  We hope that this will also become an annual event.  

I recognise that young people do not have equal access to or understanding of the career opportunities within criminal justice.  We therefore continue to provide representation at Career Fair events at schools with the same focus on encouraging students from a diverse range of communities to consider a future career with COPFS.  Reaching out to young people in further education and encouraging them to consider a career in prosecution is important to us and we are grateful for the opportunity to participate in events organised by groups such as SEMLA (Scottish Ethnic Minorities Lawyers Association) and to provide job shadowing opportunities to those interested in a career in prosecution. 

We are an organisation which is committed to learning and sharing best practice.  In 2025 our staff were fortunate to be invited to participate in events across the world to share experiences with other prosecutors and police services on issues including domestic abuse and antisemitism.  We learn so much from the experience of others and are committed to sharing that learning with our staff.  

We have begun our journey to becoming a trauma informed organisation.  Fair access to justice must be underpinned by a justice system which allows victims and witnesses to fully participate and give evidence, without this process introducing new trauma or re-traumatising people.  This is fundamental to the rule of law in a fair and equitable society and without it we risk the safety and trust of our communities.

We are also open and receptive to challenge.  This report reflects our response to reports over the last two years from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prosecution on subjects including Domestic Abuse, our Enquiry Point and our response to s275 applications (governs the use of evidence relating to the sexual history or character of victims in sexual offence trials).

I’m grateful to all who contributed to the review of child deaths and non-accidental injuries in children.  This important piece of work will build upon the good work already carried out in this area and provide a relevant, modern and trauma informed framework upon which to continue to develop and improve our work in these most sensitive and challenging of cases.

In a similar vein, I look forward to the publication of the Report on the Sexual Offences Review to the Lord Advocate, in which there will be findings and recommendations to improve the way in which reports of sexual offences are dealt with by COPFS.  

I would like to thank all COPFS colleagues, justice partners, community groups and organisations who have contributed to our progress thus far and for their ongoing commitment to further improvement in the future.   

I would also like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Carol Burt, founder of I AM ME Scotland.  Carol has kindly agreed to provide the Foreword for this year’s report and she has also given COPFS the opportunity of working in partnership with her ground-breaking charity which initially focused on raising awareness of disability hate crime but has expanded to provide resources on alcohol and substance awareness as well as exploitation and radicalisation.

I hope you will find reassurance in this report of our ongoing commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.  If you would like to learn more about the prosecution service, please look at the COPFS website for additional information about who we are and what we do. 

Our aim is to make Scotland a fairer and more just society.  If you would like to work with us to achieve this then please get in touch.  We would be very happy to hear from you.

John Logue
Crown Agent and Chief Executive
April 2025

I Am Me Scotland is a community based charity, working across Scotland to change attitudes and behaviours so that disabled and vulnerable people can feel safe in their communities.  We have had the pleasure of working in partnership with COPFS since 2013.  We are also delighted that Ruth McQuaid, Depute Crown Agent and Equality Champion has continued to represent the interests of COPFS alongside I Am Me as a respected and valued member of our Board of Trustees.

During the past 12 years, we have been proud to work alongside COPFS and support their continuous commitment to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation. This has been evidenced through a wide range of partnership work, including the work with ourselves to design, develop and deliver the Keep Safe initiative from May 2014 until January 2025. In this time, over 1000 organisations signed up to be part of the network, 2,500 staff received disability and hate crime awareness training and over 1,500 Keep Safe Ambassadors were trained on how to recognise and safely report hate crimes to Police Scotland.

We are aware that the loss of the Keep Safe initiative will leave a gap within communities and with the support of COPFS, we have begun working in collaboration with people with disabilities, and national disability partner organisations, to develop free disability and hate crime awareness training for businesses and community organisations, which we envisage will help to continue supporting people to participate in, and enjoy daily community life.

Although much of our collaborative work with COPFS has mainly focussed on the protection of disabled and vulnerable people, we have also worked together on educational programmes that aim to tackle all forms of hate crime and exploitation within Scotland, including ‘You Judge’ which is an interactive hate crime resource and more recently ‘You Are Not Alone’, a suite of resources, developed with individuals who have lived and living experience, to raise awareness of, and help tackle criminal exploitation, including county lines, trafficking, sexual exploitation, grooming, gangs and radicalisation.

COPFS has continued to build on their extensive network of community collaborations, actively seeking new partnerships and ways to support grass roots community innovation.  Alongside these external collaborations, COPFS has also evidenced an internal commitment to support equality and diversity across the workforce with the growth of the employee equality networks.   These networks play a vital role in developing links with locally based communities and encouraging employees to help address local issues and promote social responsibility and inclusiveness.  COPFS now have a team of 118 national Equality Ambassadors, representing all the protected characteristics under the Equality Act (2010), who provide advice to colleagues when dealing with victims and witnesses, enabling a more holistic and supportive service.

It is hugely encouraging to see the outstanding level of commitment from COPFS to support our communities, not only in preventing crime from happening in the first place, but also the need to support people through the criminal justice system with a desire to ensure that justice is served. This is again evidenced with embracing trauma informed practice.  Trauma awareness will, as John has mentioned, support people to participate in the justice system in a way that will recognise individuals and their own specific support needs.

COPFS has continued to recognise the ongoing change within communities and as an organisation, understands they must also change and re-develop services to support these changes.  The commitment to improve is evidenced throughout this document, particularly with the growth of the internal support groups and mental health ambassadors and the opportunity to mentor senior staff members, ensuring a whole systems approach to equality. We are looking forward to continuing to grow our partnership with COPFS, to support change and improvement.  In particular, we will look forward to the development of the new Disability Friendly training and the growth of a new community led initiative, which will continue to build upon the foundation set by Keep Safe.

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to provide the Foreword and share some of the work that we have been developing. We look forward to continuing our journey with COPFS to create a Scotland where everyone can feel safe.

Carol Burt-Wilson MBE
Charity Manager / Founder
I Am Me Scotland

This is the 7th Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Mainstreaming and Equality Outcomes Report published by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).  It describes progress made on mainstreaming equality, diversity and inclusion across all sections of COPFS, both as a service provider and as an employer.  It highlights activities designed to deliver our 2021 - 2025 set of Equality Outcomes, including partnership working with Scottish Government, justice organisations and third party organisations.  

The report describes our investment and commitment to creating and supporting a fair, diverse, and inclusive environment.  Some of the key aspects of our investment include staff education and training, mentoring programmes, inclusive hiring practices, equal pay, employee networks and mental health support.

In terms of service delivery, investing in equality and inclusion means that all who require our services have access to them, in a timely and appropriate manner.  It also aligns with our core values of respect and professionalism.

About COPFS

COPFS is Scotland’s independent public prosecution and death investigation authority. 

We receive reports about crimes from the police and other reporting agencies and decide what action to take, in the public interest, including whether to prosecute.  We also examine deaths that need further explanation and investigate allegations of criminal conduct by police officers. 

We play a pivotal role in the justice system, working with others to make Scotland safer from crime, disorder, and danger.  By investigating and prosecuting crime in terms of our Prosecution Code, we ensure that those responsible are identified, and held accountable.  By investigating deaths, we ensure that appropriate lessons are learned with a view to reducing the incidence of avoidable deaths.

We act to uphold the rule of law independently, robustly, fairly and effectively.

The Lord Advocate, Dorothy Bain KC, is head of the systems for the prosecution of crime and investigation of deaths in Scotland, functions which are exercised independently of any other person.  As such, the Lord Advocate has Ministerial responsibility for the work of COPFS.  She is assisted in this work by the Solicitor General for Scotland, Ruth Charteris KC, who is also a minister in the Scottish Government. 

The Crown Agent, John Logue, is the head of the Service and also performs the roles of chief executive and legal advisor to the Lord Advocate in respect of the Service’s work.  Details about our leadership and organisational structure are contained in Annex A.

The public interest is at the heart of all we do as independent prosecutors.  We consider the diverse needs of victims, witnesses, bereaved relatives, protected communities, and the rights of those accused of crime.

We respect the European Convention on Human Rights and the public sector equality duty in the Equality Act (2010) in all areas of our work.  Through our published Equality Outcomes, we demonstrate the importance of equality in service delivery, staff development, recruitment and profile and in the development of our policies and practice.

This report is made up of two main sections:

Section 1 – Mainstreaming of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

• Evidence of how we continue to mainstream equality, diversity and inclusion within the prosecution service.

Section 2 – Progress on our Equality Outcomes.

• The progress made since May 2023 in delivering against our six Equality Outcomes.

The goal of creating a fairer society where everyone can participate and fulfil their potential is protected by law.  As set out in the Equality Act (2010), all public sector organisations have a duty to pay “due regard” to the need to:

• Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation, and any other conduct that is prohibited by the Act
• Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not
• Foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not.

Our responsibilities as a public authority

As a public authority led by a Scottish Minister (the Lord Advocate) COPFS must also comply with the Specific Duties (Scotland) Regulations 2012.  COPFS also has a duty to:

• publish a biennial report on progress on mainstreaming the general equality duty,
• publish a set of equality outcomes every four years,
• make equality impact assessments and review policies, procedures, and practices,
• annually gather and use employee information,
• publish gender pay gap information every two years,
• publish statements on equal pay and occupational segregation every four years, specifically in relation to sex, disability, and race,
• consider award criteria and conditions in relation to public procurement,
• publish information in a manner that is accessible,
• consider other matters, as specified by Scottish Ministers,
• (since 2016), publish diversity information on Board level membership.

Our approach to mainstreaming equality

Equality and inclusion underpin all that we do at COPFS.  It is integral to our approach to our work and provides context for our decision-making.  Our employees lead our equality and inclusion agenda in line with our organisation’s core values of respect and professionalism.

Our work on equality and inclusion is supported by a range of internal staff networks lead by equality ambassadors representing all protected characteristics across the country.  This structure is supported by our senior management who regularly engage in both internal and external initiatives. 

Leadership on equality and inclusion

Our strategic direction in respect of equality and inclusion is set by the Equality Board, which is chaired by Stephen McGowan, Deputy Crown Agent, and includes representatives from all aspects of the organisation.

Delivery is led by our Equality Champion, Ruth McQuaid, Deputy Crown Agent, supported by 13 staff network leads, 118 National Equality Ambassadors representing specific protected characteristics and six Sheriffdom Equality Network leads, each of whom is responsible for organising and co-ordinating local equality engagement.

Our Equality Champion is a member of the Scottish Government’s Hate Crime Strategic Partnership Group, which includes senior representatives from our Justice partners and key stakeholder groups, all of whom are working towards delivering shared justice equality objectives around hate crime and prejudice.  Ruth also represents COPFS as a Trustee on the Board of I AM ME Scotland.

Our Workforce

Employees from around the country, often with an interest or expertise in a particular area of equality and inclusion, are members of our Sheriffdom Equality Networks, which have been set up in each of the six Sheriffdom areas. These are:

• Glasgow and Strathkelvin
• Grampian, Highland and Islands
• Lothian and Borders
• North Strathclyde
• South Strathclyde, Dumfries and Galloway
• Tayside, Central and Fife

These networks play a vital role in developing links with locally based communities and encouraging employees to help address local issues and promote social responsibility and inclusiveness.

COPFS currently has 13 employee networks.  They are listed in order of creation:

• Disability Action Network – a community for members to share information and provide insight to all employees about living with a disability and to advance disability friendly practices within COPFS.
• Proud in COPFS - a network supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBT+) employees as well as parents and carers of LGBT+ children.
• Believe in COPFS - a network for employees to discuss and consider faith and belief issues.
• COPFS Carers Network - supporting employees who have caring responsibilities.
• COPFS Mental Health Network - supports employees with mental health conditions by raising awareness of and signposting to support mechanisms.
• Inclusion in COPFS - supports employees from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities and raises awareness of race and cultural issues.
• Gender Equality Network - a network for employees to discuss and consider gender issues
• Neurodiversity Support Network - provides advice and guidance on all aspects of neurodiversity including autism, ADHD, epilepsy and dyslexia for employees who experience these conditions or who are parents or carers of someone who does.
• Menopause Network – provides advice and support for those going through any stage of menopause, from learning about it to managing symptoms.
• Lifelong Learning Network – offers support and encouragement to employees considering further education options, including information on funding and balancing work, life and study demands.
• Bereavement Support Group –to support employees and their managers through their grief journey – from initial bereavement and onwards; to normalise discussion of bereavement and grief in the workplace by creating a safe place to chat.
• Children’s Network – to support colleagues dealing with prosecution or death investigation cases involving children, whether as victims, witnesses or accused persons.
• Chronic Pain Support Network – supports employees living with both chronic and acute pain and helps to raise awareness of the impact of pain on a person’s life.

All 13 networks are actively involved in advancing the equality strategy in COPFS and contribute to the equality impact assessment process for new policies and procedures.

COPFS also has a team of 118 national Equality Ambassadors, representing all the protected characteristics under the Equality Act (2010) and specific elements within those characteristics.  As well as representing employees, all Equality Ambassadors engage with a variety of external groups throughout Scotland, and provide advice to colleagues when dealing with victims and witnesses, raising awareness of their chosen area and providing advice on issues relating to cases involving those who have a protected characteristic.  They also play an integral part in our equality impact assessment process.

Both the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) and the First Division Association (FDA) Union support our equality and inclusion work and are represented on our Equality Board.

Connect, the COPFS intranet, provides guidance on equality and inclusion, from both a personal and a professional perspective, and has an extensive employee forum area with sections on equality information and dedicated pages for all of our staff networks.

Equality Impact Assessment

Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) is a tool that helps public authorities ensure their policies and practices operate as intended.  EIA involves systematically assessing the possible, or actual, effect or impact of policies, functions, and delivery of services to those with a protected characteristic. 

Carrying out an EIA identifies both potential positive and negative impacts of a new policy or procedure on protected groups.  Any potential negative impacts can be then dealt with and the new policy or process can be adapted accordingly.  COPFS now routinely works collaboratively with stakeholders, including our network of equality ambassadors, at an early stage in policy development.  This ensures that new policies are fit for purpose and, more importantly, have stakeholder buy-in from an early stage of development. 

An excellent example of collaborative working was the COPFS Gender Based Violence (GBV) policy, where several key stakeholders contributed to the consultation process.  E.g. HR Policy leads organised a GBV workshop involving staff from across the service, including trade union representatives, who had volunteered to participate in the development and consideration of the policy.  Several external expert speakers also took part in the event.    

To date we have published 46 EIAs on our public website. 

Procurement

COPFS is committed to embedding corporate social responsibility and sustainability into our everyday procurement activity to benefit society, the economy and the environment.

COPFS has a dedicated Central Procurement Team (CPT).  When buying and paying for goods and services, the CPT and those staff within Crown Office with Delegated Procurement Authority take account of the statutory procurement legislation, the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM), Scottish Procurement Policy Notices (SPPNs) and the COPFS Procurement Policy Manual.  

COPFS endeavours to award contracts that provide value for money (while meeting the “General Duties” of transparency, equal treatment, proportionality and mutual recognition in public procurement activity and its wider aspirations under the National Outcomes of the National Performance Framework, including Fair Work Practices, Sustainability and responding to the Climate Emergency).

Working with colleagues and suppliers, we will ensure whole-life costs are considered and that, where practical and economically viable, purchases have been manufactured and are delivered, used and disposed of, in an environmentally responsible manner.

Adoption of the Scottish Government’s Sustainable Procurement Action Plan and fulfilling its 10 Steps to Sustainable Procurement will contribute to successful progress against our Best Value obligations, the Procurement and Commercial Improvement Programme and the Best Practice Indicators.  Improved sustainability in procurement activity will also make a significant contribution to our climate change targets.

Estates

Our website contains information about access to our offices for those with mobility, visual and hearing impairments.  We regularly review and update this section of the website.  As part of our continuous estates strategy, we regularly review all our estates to ensure they remain accessible to our employees and the wider public.

The FWOW programme was set up in 2019 to consider how we will manage our people, workplaces, and technology.  The programme is designed to achieve a better work-life balance and improve staff wellbeing by reducing travel requirements, encourage flexible working arrangements and ensure that staff have the digital tools to work successfully in offices, courts and at home.

This is our 7th report on Equality Outcomes and fulfils our reporting requirements under the Scottish specific duties.  Our employee and gender pay gap information is published in Annex B of this document.

People who live or work in Scotland are aware of the role of the prosecution service in the Scottish criminal justice system.

Our aim

To raise awareness of COPFS’ roles, responsibilities and commitment to the promotion and advancement of equality within the Scottish criminal justice sector.

Outcomes

In the most recent Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS), published in November 2023, 76% of all adults surveyed had heard of COPFS, an increase of 3% from the previous survey.  However they weren’t always accurate about our role and responsibilities.  Younger adults were less likely to have heard of COPFS – only 51% of 16-24 years old compared to 84% of 45-59 years old and 82% of people aged 60 and over.

Of those adults who were aware of COPFS, 73% (2% increase) correctly identified our role in the investigation and prosecution of crime, but only 46% (2% decrease) were aware of our role in investigating sudden and unexplained deaths. 

The number of people who thought that COPFS decided on sentences for those found guilty of crimes has decreased from 47% to 42% while the number of people who thought that COPFS represented the victims of crime in court has decreased from 41% to 36%.  These are welcome improvements in the public knowledge of our roles and responsibilities but there is clearly still more room for increasing our public messaging.

Respondents were also asked if they had personally ever had any contact with COPFS and the nature of such contact is as follows:

• 26% as a witness of crime
• 25% in another professional capacity (but not from a justice partner)
• 23% as a victim of crime
• 19% as the accused
• 11% as a bereaved relative in a deaths investigation
• 10% as a relative or friend of a victim or witness
• 6% as a relative or friend of the accused
• 4% as a criminal justice partner
• 12% not specified

Adults who have had contact with COPFS were also asked about how satisfied or dissatisfied they were in the way COPFS dealt with them the last time they had contact.

Around two-thirds (64%) of respondents said they were satisfied with the way COPFS dealt with them the last time they had contact, 21% were dissatisfied and 14% were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.

Over the last two years, COPFS has welcomed an additional number of Equality Ambassadors and currently has 118 staff members fulfilling this role, representing a protected characteristic or an aspect of a protected characteristic. 

We now have ambassadors representing age, gender, pregnancy and maternity, faith communities, race, Asian, Jewish and Travelling communities, EU Nationals, LGB, transgender, bereavement, life-long learning, care experience, various aspects of Disability including audio and visual impairments, migraine, chronic pain, dyslexia, epilepsy, hearing and sight impairment, mental health, neurodiversity, menopause, carers, and they each have a role in reaching out to community groups as a point of contact. 

Much of what we do is focused on working with communities and in schools in order to raise awareness of our roles and responsibilities as Scotland’s prosecution service and to highlight the implications of offensive behaviour as part of our community cohesion efforts. 

Other work with schools and colleges include mock-trials, which allow students to experience the court process in a safe environment, and our National Public Speaking Competition, which aims to raise the level of public debate in secondary schools on equality and inclusion issues.  Topics covered include ‘If you owned a social media platform, what rules would you have for users and why?’ and ‘What does the right to education mean to young people in Scotland today?’

The number of schools participating in the national competition has risen from 12 in 2014 to 72 in 2025.  In fact, 117 teams took part in 2025.  The grand final is held in June of each year at Parliament House and is chaired by the Lord Advocate. 

The use of video conferencing technology began in 2020, as a response to Covid 19 restrictions, and this continues to support schools from geographically distant parts of the country to take part in the competition.

COPFS used X (formerly Twitter) to provide updates about the 2023 competition.  There were 20, 973 impressions and 1125 engagements on the updates we shared for the national heats and finals.  We reduced our use of X for the competition in 2024 posting once about the overall winner.  This post received 1405 impressions and 59 engagements.

We continue to attend Pride events across Scotland to promote awareness of our role in prosecuting LGBT+ related hate crime.  Employees also engage with local schools, colleges, and community groups to raise awareness of the effects of hate crime, both on victims and their communities but also for potential offenders, by highlighting the life consequences of having a criminal record on future work opportunities.

Our staff meet directly with representatives of Scotland’s diverse communities, such as Epilepsy Scotland, Scottish Trans Alliance, For Women Scotland, Deaf Links, the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities (SCoJeC), BEMIS and many more so that meaningful stakeholder engagement can take place.

Our North Strathclyde Network has worked with South Ayrshire Council and Police Scotland to create a Pilot for COPFS to attend a small number of secondary schools to raise awareness on hot topics such as coercive control, the sharing of inappropriate photos and sexual offending.  The aim is to educate young people about such criminal behaviour so as to signpost where support is available if you are a victim of such crimes but also to deter people from engaging in risky behaviour that may be criminal.

Our Tayside Central and Fife Network forged links with their local Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Dundee and also developed a court awareness course for local council workers who engage with the justice system through their work.  They have also created a mock trials pack for use with primary schools which has been very well received by both teachers and pupils.  The children learn about us and the Scottish criminal justice system at an early stage in their lives but also have fun and practice life skills often not exercised until secondary school.

In June 2024, we hosted a workshop in Crown Office for criminal justice delegations from New South Wales (NSW) and Quebec where we provided detailed guidance on the operation of the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 (DASA), to aid Australia and Canada in the preparations for legislation on coercive control.  Legislation came into force in NSW in July 2024 but a change in Government in Canada has delayed enactment of the new law there.

The PF for High Court Sexual Offences and the national Lead for Domestic Abuse were invited to Sydney for the legislation coming into force.  They gave presentations at three different conferences, comprising of over 500 police officers and c. 200 prosecutors from across Australia and New Zealand, on Scotland’s approach to domestic abuse.  There was also opportunities to meet local support agencies and hear from those with lived experience of coercive control and domestic abuse.

As a result of the new relationships formed in Australia, there has been ongoing regular contact with NSW and Tasmanian police and Third Sector agencies, sharing best practice from both jurisdictions.

Our national lead for Domestic Abuse also gave a presentation on Scotland’s approach to domestic abuse and DASA at a UN-sponsored conference on gender-based violence in Serbia during 16 Days of Activism in November 2024.  The conference was attended by police, prosecutors and judges from Serbia and Croatia.

In March 2025, our PF for High Court Sexual Offences was invited to His Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde as guest speaker to provide an input to the Royal Navy Police and Naval Servicewomen’s Network on International Women’s Day.  The purpose of the presentation was to share leadership experience and insights and information about the work we are doing in COPFS to improve the lived experience of women in society.

Also in March 2025, policy officials gave presentations to a delegation of Greek police and prosecutors on how we investigate and prosecute sexual offences.

COPFS is a member of the Hate Crime Strategic Partnership Group, chaired by the Minister for Victims and Community Safety.  The key priorities identified by the Group are legislation and guidance, improving data collection and reporting and encouraging reporting of hate crime, including through third party reporting centres.

Following the launch of the Hate Crime Strategy in March 2023, we have continued to support initiatives to raise awareness of the new Hate Crime and Public Order Act, which was enacted in April 2024.

Policy officials were invited by the Ministry of Justice & Security at The Hague to attend their European Conference of Public Prosecution Services on Antisemitism in June 2024 where we met antisemitism prosecutors from around Europe.  We attended presentations about the European Comission’s strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life (2021-2030). There is a real scarcity of case law and significant under-reporting.  We shared details of Scotland’s hate crime legislation and our approach to tackling offensive behaviour.

We discussed the challenges of prosection which include differentiating between legitimate political criticism and antisemitic hate speech and the lack of reporting by victims due to distrust of authorities.  There are real technical challenges in accessing data from social medial companies in order to identify posters of offensive content and ensuring the content is preserved before it disappears.  The issue of deep fake images to inflame public opinion is also a shared, ongoing challenge.

By continuing our longstanding engagement with specific communities, we continue to focus on breaking down barriers and providing reassurance that we serve all the communities in Scotland.  In the most recent Scottish Crime and Justice survey (November 2023), 74% of people thought that the justice system was accessible to all who needed it and 75% thought that accused persons would receive a fair trial, regardless of their identity.

In contrast, the 2023 Scottish Household Survey (published in December 2024), found that only 56% of adults reported that they trust the Justice System – a decrease of 9% from 2022.  Trust in the police fell from 87% to 73% in the same timeframe.

The Law Officers make regular use of national media to publicise the COPFS approach to matters relating to criminal justice and equality.  We also publicise attendance at events and show support for national and international days such as International Women’s Day and LGBT History Month and other latest news on our official COPFS website.

In our Strategic Plan for 2023 – 2027, we set out the Law Officers vision for the services that COPFS provides.  These are set against the backdrop of changes in the patterns of criminal behaviour, recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and developments in our business practices. 

Our Strategic Aims are:

• Continuously Improve our service – we will provide an excellent service that is designed to meet the diverse needs of the public we serve.  As well as transforming the way we prosecute domestic abuse and sexual offending, we will continue to digitise and modernise the way we work, supporting recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and wider reform of the criminal justice system, securing efficient and effective justice, and putting the public at the heart of all we do.
• Deliver high quality casework – We will secure justice through our professional decision-making, case preparation and presentation.  We will explain our decisions, be open about our work and conclude our investigations more quickly.
• Support our people to deliver excellence – we will build a skilled, trauma-informed, and diverse workforce who are motivated, engaged, and healthy.  We will create flexible, sustainable working environments which support our future business delivery model. We will invest in staff development and strengthen our capacity to deliver an improved service.

Our Transformation Priorities are:

• Women and children in justice
• Improved communication and support
• Quicker conclusions to death and criminal investigations

By establishing a service-wide benchmark to monitor changes in customer service, action can now be focused in the areas of work giving rise to the majority of complaints.  One area that has been monitored is analysis of complaints received: feedback suggests that COPFS relies too heavily on written communication rather than supporting oral methods of communication. 

While there are many examples of good and indeed excellent service, failure to communicate and respond to correspondence is our highest upheld complaint.  Consequently, we are taking steps to increase the number of complaints being dealt with by face to face or telephone communication directly with the correspondent. 

We continue to forge links with a variety of organisations to raise awareness of the role of the prosecution service and to break down barriers to engaging with us, including considering a career with COPFS.

Our employees will act fairly and without bias towards all victims, witnesses, accused persons and bereaved relatives, and be sensitive to individual needs, to ensure that the deaths investigation and prosecution service we provide, delivers an equal opportunity to everyone to access justice.

Our aim

To take a robust approach to the prosecution of hate crime, domestic abuse, and sexual crimes, which will contribute to helping people live lives safe from crime, disorder, and danger.  In relation to deaths investigations, our aim is to conclude criminal and death investigations more quickly, particularly cases involving children and vulnerable witnesses.  In relation to complaints against the police, our aim is to investigate allegations promptly and, where possible, reach a decision before any related cases go to trial.

Our prosecution code makes clear the need to consider the background and personal circumstances of both the accused and the victim before deciding what action to take in any case.  The impact of the offence on the victim must also be considered.  Where relevant, this may include consideration of any equality, diversity or inclusion issues.

Outcomes

Given the serious impact on victims, families, and communities, COPFS takes a robust approach and gives high priority to the prosecution of hate crime, domestic abuse, sexual crime and cases involving children, and to the investigation of all sudden, unexpected and suspicious death in order to build public confidence and tackle the damaging effects of crime, disorder and avoidable deaths.  We have specialist teams and prosecutors dealing with sexual offending, domestic abuse, complaints of criminal conduct against police officers and all our death investigations.

UNCRC

The UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 came into force on 16 July 2024 and made Scotland the first country in the UK, and the first devolved nation in the world, to directly incorporate the UNCRC into domestic law. The UNCRC requirements apply to all public authorities in Scotland, including the COPFS.

We have reviewed and updated all relevant policies and processes (both internally and externally published), directly and/or indirectly, associated with children as accused, as witnesses, or more generally, to ensure that they are compatible with the UNCRC requirements.  

Extensive internal guidance was prepared for staff on the UNCRC requirements, UNCRC compatibility issues minutes, how to assess the best interests of children and how to record UNCRC considerations taken in decision making.  Mandatory in person training has also been delivered to ensure all relevant staff are trained on our UNCRC obligations.

Hate Crime

Hate crime and prejudice threaten community cohesion and have a corrosive impact on Scotland's communities as well as broader society.  Hate crime does not affect all communities equally and there is a geographic difference in hate crime rates.  People within a given characteristic have wide ranging or individualised experiences of hate crime – and for some people, intersecting characteristics can amplify experiences of prejudice and hate crime.

COPFS publishes an annual report of all hate crime charges reported by the police in June of each year.  The report brings together figures on race crime and on crime motivated by prejudice relating to religion, disability, sexual orientation, and transgender identity.

Compared to the 2022-23 report, the figures for 2023-24 showed that there had been an increase in the number of charges reported for race (4.6%), disability (22%) and trans identity (25%).  There had been a decrease in the number of charges reported for sexual orientation (5.7%) and religious prejudice (12%)

The proportion of hate crime charges relating to race has decreased from 75% in 2011 to 50.5% in 2024.  During the same time frame, the proportion of hate crime charges relating to sexual orientation has increased from 13% to 30%.  This suggests that while overall offending figures have remained relatively constant, at between c.5000 to c.6000 charges each year, the nature of the prejudice reported has changed in the past 13 years.

There is no single identifiable reason explaining any of these statistical changes however it is believed that increased public awareness of what constitutes a hate crime, and victims having greater confidence to report incidents, have contributed to the increase in figures.

It should also be noted that crimes relating to racial hatred accounted for 56.6% of all reported hate crime.  Crimes relating to racial hatred have dominated hate crime statistics since records began.

Despite the rise in reported disability hate crime, there is a broad consensus that this form of hate crime continues to be grossly under reported compared to other forms of hate crime.  Both Police Scotland and COPFS have worked collaboratively with other justice partners and the Scottish Government on a variety of activities aimed at increasing the level of awareness of disability hate crime and encouraging people to report incidents. 

This has especially focused on working with organisations that support people with disabilities, and on encouraging those targeted to report incidents to the police or to use Third Party reporting agencies such as the Keep Safe initiative.  The large increase in reported disability charges may be partially due to increased awareness of what constitutes a disability hate crime and of the support available to report such crime. 

Prosecution rates for hate crimes remain very high: between 88% for faith and belief and race related crime to 92% for disability related crimes.

In April 2024, the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act was enacted.  This created two new hate crime aggravations, namely age and Variations in Sex Characteristics (VSD).  It also introduced a new stirring up offence relating to the six other listed characteristics, broadly matching the existing stirring up of racism offence.

We have been involved in efforts to raise awareness of the new offences and have updated our Lord Advocate’s Guidelines to police in relation to the Act as well as drafting new staff guidance to support the implementation of the Act.

Sexual crime

Sexual Offending is a gendered issue.  Anyone including men, boys and those who are non-binary can be affected by violence, abuse and sexual offending.  However, we must acknowledge that women are more likely than men to experience rape and sexual assault and the vast majority of perpetrators of this type of offending are men.

Between April 2024 and February 2025, Police in Scotland recorded more than 2,615 rapes and attempted rapes, of which 84.1% of victims were female.  In the same year, 72.2% of recorded sexual assault victims were female.  Last year the police reported to prosecutors more than 2,810 sexual offence charges which were domestically aggravated – in other words, committed against victims by their partner or ex-partner.  Almost half of these charges were of rape or attempted rape. 

70% of High Court cases relate to sexual offending.  Of those indicted to court almost half relate to sexual offending in an intimate relationship.

The conviction rate for rape is consistently much lower than for other crime.  It is even lower in cases where there is one victim and one charge involving one accused person.  Over 5 years between 2018-2023, Conviction rate where single charge of rape or attempted rape on indictment was between 22%-27%.  Conviction rate where more than one charge of rape or attempted rape on indictment was between 45%- 58%.

38% of all murders of women are committed by their partners.  We need to deliver justice for women and girls who have been subject to violence and abuse including sexual offending.  Women must trust the system if they are to come forward and engage in the process.  Women have the right to have equal access to justice.  We recognise the need to take actions to protect and promote these rights.  We recognise the need to empower women to come forward and place their faith in the criminal justice system.

In our published COPFS Strategic Plan 2023-2027, our key priority is to improve the experiences of women and children within the justice system.  “We are truly committed to making improvements to our service which will benefit and empower women, improving their experience of the justice system.  We will transform the way we prosecute sexual offences and domestic abuse.  We seek to secure justice and prosecute in the public interest using all of the tools available to us.  We approach each case on a case-by-case basis and where there is sufficient, admissible, reliable and credible evidence we will prosecute”.

In December 2021 the Lord Advocate commissioned a review of how prosecutors deal with reports of sexual offences.  The team is led by Susanne Tanner KC.  This is in recognition of the profound impact that sexual crimes have on victims and on society and the fact that, in recent years, sexual offences account for about 70% of all High Court case work.

The review team has considered the way we investigate and prosecute sexual offences.  It has consulted with prosecutors, COPFS staff, police officers, defence lawyers, academics, stakeholder groups such as Rape Crisis Scotland, and people who have been victims of sexual abuse.  The work of the review team has concluded and a report will be submitted to the Lord Advocate in the near future.  Further details about this review are available on our public website.

In December 2024 the Lord Advocate instructed Principal Crown Counsel and COPFS to create a pilot for single victim rape cases with the aim of improving victim experience during the criminal justice process.  This is part of our commitment to making improvements to our services to benefit and empower women and improving how we communicate and support victims.  The outcome of this pilot will inform any necessary improvements in the investigation and prosecution of single victim rape cases.

The pilot aims to improve the experiences of victim of this crime type, from the point at which the crime is reported to the police, to the end of the trial process.  It is recognised by COPFS that the quality of much of their work associated with these case types requires to improve, particularly around case marking, early victim engagement, selection of special support measures, case preparation and victim support both prior to and during trial.  It is recognised that the conviction rate for ‘acquaintance type rapes’ is significantly lower than the overall all conviction rate for this category of crime and it is hoped that “end to end” improvement will go some way to redressing this imbalance.

We are committed to improving the criminal justice journey for victims and this includes consideration of sentencing decisions.  Prosecutors have a responsibility in legislation to consider appeals based upon undue leniency in sentencing.  Such appeals are rare but important to ensure the public interest is properly served.  They allow the court to review sentences that the Crown believe fall outside the range of punishment reasonably considered appropriate.  We believe that it is important that the harm caused by sexual offending, and the culpability of the convicted person, must be consistently reflected in sentencing decisions.

The HMIP [His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prosecution] report on use of section 274 and 275 applications was published in October 2022 and work to implement the 8 recommendations applicable to COPFS was carried out during 2023 and 2024.  These provisions regulate the use of evidence relating to the sexual history or character of complainers in sexual offence trials.  Section 274 contains a general rule that evidence or questioning falling within certain categories is inadmissible in sexual offence cases.  Section 275 allows the court, on application made to it, to admit evidence or questioning falling within the general prohibition at section 274 so long as certain tests are met.

The report found that COPFS had responded swiftly to developments in case law, issuing new instructions to staff and creating a training course dedicated to sexual history and character evidence.  This led to a significant change in practice regarding how section 275 applications are managed.  Victims are now regularly told about the applications, asked their view on the contents, and those views are presented by the Crown to the court.  There was, however, also scope for some improvement.

Following the report’s publication, the Procurator Fiscal for High Court Sexual Offences formed a group comprising a range of leaders from relevant teams across COPFS, including those working on High Court and Local Court cases

We consider that 7 out of 8 recommendations have been achieved and that substantial progress has been made in relation to the final one.  

There is now greater oversight of how section 275 applications are managed with a view to ensuring that policy is followed in practice.  This includes, for example, fortnightly meetings between solemn legal managers and case preparers to discuss case progression and communication with complainers.  Section 275 applications are also a standing agenda item at the Sexual Offences Strategic Group, chaired by a Deputy Crown Agent.  This group considers both High Court and Local Court cases, promoting consistency in approach and allowing for further improvements to be identified.

Human Trafficking

The Lord Advocate’s instructions for non-prosecution of victims of human trafficking were revised during 2023 and the updated version published internally and externally on our website in January 2024.  The updated Instructions take into account, amongst other matters, recommendations made by the Department for the Execution of Judgements and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the incorporation of the UNCRC (Scotland) Act 2024, and evolving trends in trafficking and exploitation.

The revised instructions highlight the increase in trafficking for criminal exploitation, particularly in relation to children and vulnerable adults.  The revisions also highlight evolving trends such as county lines offences, cuckooing and sexual exploitation online.  In addition, to assist prosecutors in identifying those at risk of exploitation, reference to the Guidance on Criminal Exploitation produced by the ‘Divert 3’ Sub-Group of the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce has been inserted into the Lord Advocates Instructions with relevant links to the guidance.  The list of indicators to assist with identifying victims and examples illustrating the types of scenarios that could indicate an individual is being exploited, particularly children, have also been inserted.

The two mandatory E-Learning modules, which provide prosecutors with detailed training regarding the prosecution of perpetrators and the identification of victims of trafficking and exploitation offences, were revised to take account of the updates to the Lord Advocates Instructions, recent developments in the law and in guidance and provided more specific and in-depth guidance relating to domestic trafficking and exploitation and child exploitation. 

In October 2023, we entered into a new Memorandum of Understanding with Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance (TARA) and Migrant Help, organisations which provide support to victims of human trafficking and aim to prevent a person being re-trafficked.  

The Memorandum of Understanding relates to providing support to potential victims of human trafficking or exploitation on their liberation from prison or court to ensure they receive adequate support immediately upon their release from custody/prison. There is associated guidance for prosecutors which details the actions that prosecutors must take to ensure, as far as possible, that potential victims of human trafficking or exploitation are supported immediately when they leave prison or custody.

Domestic Abuse

Specialist prosecutors for Domestic Abuse and Stalking are in place to oversee these types of cases.  They have reviewed policies, practices and training on dealing with such cases as we understand the impact these crimes can have.  They are particularly distressing and damaging for victims and their families.  Advances have been made in encouraging victims to report such crimes and we aim to continually improve the way these cases are prepared.

The Summary Case Management (SCM) pilot commenced in September 2022.  Following a successful evaluation in October 2024, it is now being rolled out to all sheriff courts in Scotland.  Whilst SCM applies to all summary cases, there is a particular focus upon domestic abuse casework.  SCM is designed to create a more effective system for handling summary cases and deliver better outcomes for victims, witnesses and accused persons.  Through a combination of early disclosure of evidential material, proactive engagement between the Crown and defence and judicial management of cases at an early stage, SCM focusses on resolution of cases, or confirmation of the issues in dispute before a trial is assigned.   It aims to reduce both the number of unnecessary trials being assigned and the volume of witness citations that are issued. 

SCM introduces a new approach to engagement with victims of domestic abuse. This involves direct telephone contact being facilitated by prosecutors in the weeks following the case first calling in court.  Where the allegations include a contravention in terms of The Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018, victims are also offered the opportunity to meet with the prosecutor in advance of the trial.

In 2023-24, 30,100 charges relating to domestic abuse were reported to us.  This is a very slight decrease of 0.1% compared to the 2022-23 figures.  The vast majority of charges identified as relating to domestic abuse are prosecuted.  An initial decision was made to proceed to court with 93% of charges in 2023-24.

In 2023-24, 859 stalking charges under section 39 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 were reported to us.  Of these, 53% were identified as relating to domestic abuse.

Stalking

In April 2025 we marked National Stalking Awareness Week by publishing guidance on Connect, our staff internet platform.  As prosecutors dealing with stalking cases, it can be easy to focus on the ‘symptoms’ – the criminal behaviour described in reports we receive from the police.  Using the victim-centered acronym FOUR, we can describe stalking conduct as: Fixated, Obsessive, Unwanted, Repeated.  But it is important that we think about the bigger picture, in terms of both the psychological harm victims suffer, and the underlying physical threat.  We know there is a very real risk that stalking escalates to violence. 

Above all, we must be aware of the impact of stalking and do what we can to help victims engage with the justice process. 

COPFS understands the physical and emotional effects crime can have on victims and the vital role witnesses play in the criminal justice system.  We are committed to meeting their needs, communicating effectively and recognising any equality and inclusion requirements. 

Some victims and witnesses may be particularly vulnerable because of their circumstances or the nature of the evidence they may be asked to give to the court.  Special measures are in place to help a vulnerable witness give their evidence in court.  These victims and witnesses are supported by our Victim Information and Advice (VIA) service and we have a Victims Forum, chaired by our Victims Champion, Ruth McQuaid, Deputy Crown Agent, to support those employees to enhance the service they provide and to share best practice across Scotland.

In November 2021, work commenced on the VIA Modernisation Programme, and is now led by Lindsey Miller, Deputy Crown Agent.  The programme involves extensive consultation with VIA staff, justice partners and relevant external stakeholders, like Victim Support Scotland, on topics such as the roles and responsibilities of VIA staff, staff induction, training and continuous professional development and external stakeholder engagement.  The programme’s recommendations will support the Victim-Centered Approach workstream of the Scottish Government’s Victims Task Force.  This work is designed to deliver a better, more coordinated service for victims and witnesses across the justice system.

The Vulnerable Witnesses (Criminal Evidence) (Scotland) Act 2019 includes new measures to increase the number of cases in which the evidence of children and vulnerable witnesses is pre-recorded to avoid them having to give evidence during a subsequent trial.  This means that the evidence of all child witnesses aged under 18 years in High Court cases for certain specified offences must be pre-recorded.  

In addition, there has been an  ongoing expansion of evidence by commission in order to reduce journey times for victims and witnesses giving their testimony.  It has been estimated that this has reduced the evidence giving journey by 28-32 weeks.  Evidence by Commission can be used as a special measure for vulnerable witnesses.  The court may appoint a commissioner to take the evidence of a vulnerable witness in advance of the trial.  An accused person may be present with the agreement of the commissioner.  Alternatively they must be able to watch and listen by some means while the evidence of that witness is taken.  Proceedings heard before a commissioner must be recorded by video.  That recording of proceedings must be received in evidence at a trial without necessarily being sworn to by a witness.

Our Neurodiversity Support Network won the Staff Equality network award at our Equality Awards ceremony in November 2024 for its development of ‘Fidget Boxes’ for use by victims and witnesses attending Evidence by Commissioner suites and courts.

The Criminal Allegations Against the Police Division (CAAP-D) is a specialist division within COPFS that investigates allegations against on-duty police officers across Scotland. The team was set up to provide a consistent approach to decision-making for all cases where an allegation has been made against an on-duty police officer. 

In February 2024, the team introduced a new process to monitor the protected characteristics of people making criminal complaints against the police.  This will allow us to determine whether the data suggests any imbalance in respect of the volume of cases with complainers sharing the same/similar protected characteristic.  It will also allow us to assess the effectiveness of its processes for engagement and support of complainers having protected characteristics.  We can also track outcomes in respect of complainers having protected characteristics which will allow us to consider any improvements in the service we provide and to track the effectiveness of policies on Equality and Diversity

Diversion

Diversion from prosecution in Scotland is where the prosecutor refers an accused person to a local authority, or other partner agency, for support, treatment or other action, to address the underlying causes of the accused’s alleged offending behaviour.

Diversion from prosecution is considered as an option by the prosecutor in any case where the accused has an identifiable need that has, or appears to have, contributed to their offending.  An identifiable need can include the following:

• addiction/problematic drug or alcohol use
• mental health needs
• learning disabilities
• homelessness

It can only be offered where there is sufficient evidence and where it is assessed that diversion is the most appropriate outcome in the public interest.

In February 2023 HM Inspectorate of Prosecution (HMIPS) published a Joint Review of Diversion from Prosecution, assessing the operation and impact of diversion in Scotland.  The review found scope for further improvement in the way diversion operates and set out a number of recommendations, some of which are addressed to COPFS.

In response to the recommendations made in the Joint Review, internal COPFS guidance on Diversion was reviewed and updated.  A key focus of the revised guidance is the provision of clear direction for our staff about what is expected in terms of communication with victims and accused persons, where diversion is offered.

In addition, the National Guidelines on Diversion, to which COPFS is a signatory, have been revised.  As diversion requires a multi-agency approach, revision of the National Guidelines was undertaken in collaboration with other relevant stakeholders, including Community Justice Scotland, CYCJ [Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice], Police Scotland and Social Work Scotland.  The revised National Guidelines will be published in May 2025.

In July 2023, the Lord Advocate announced a review of how prosecutors deal with diversion from prosecution in cases of solemn level sexual offending, including rape. The remit of the review was later extended to include referral to the Children’s Reporter in these cases. 

Based on the review,  the Lord Advocate has approved a new Statement of Prosecution Policy, published in April 2025, which focuses on cases involving children.  The Statement has been shaped by the invaluable discussions and feedback received during roundtable discussions that were held with key stakeholders who provided comments from the perspective of victims and witnesses of rape and other sexual offences, including views from those with lived experience, and stakeholders who represent children in conflict with the law.  The new policy has also been informed by the outcome of the examination of all cases of rape which were diverted or referred to the Reporter in the last five years.

Such a bespoke policy is required to recognise the seriousness of sexual offending and ensure there is a clear and detailed framework for prosecutors to work within when making decisions as to the appropriate prosecutorial response in these cases to ensure the appropriate use of diversion and referral to the Reporter.

Communication with victims around decisions on cases involving children and sexual offending is central to the new policy.  Decisions relating to the offences of rape and attempted rape will also now be taken by Senior Crown Counsel appointed by the Lord Advocate to exercise her authority on her behalf.  These moves recognise the seriousness of these cases, the profound impact they have on victims, and the need to ensure that diversion and referral to the Reporter are being used appropriately.

Death investigations

COPFS is committed to the thorough and timely investigation of deaths and to improving its performance in this important area of work, including in the provision of information to bereaved relatives.  We appreciate the impact the time taken to complete death investigations can have on all those involved.  We also recognise the particular importance that early decision making on the release of bodies for burial or cremation can have for certain ethnic and faith groups and the need to provide an accessible and timely service for our diverse communities.

COPFS has made significant changes to its working practices in relation to the investigation of deaths by the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU) through a modernisation project.  For example, our Custody Deaths Unit allows us to take a more holistic approach to the investigation of deaths in a custody setting as well as dealing with each case on an individual level.

Additional resources were brought in and there has been a focus on concluding older cases.  Revised practices have also resulted in new death reports being dealt with more effectively.  Some cases will necessarily take longer to conclude than others, but these changes reflect the commitment of COPFS to the timely and thorough investigation of deaths in all the communities we serve across Scotland.

In May 2020, we established a Covid Deaths Investigation Team (CDIT) to receive reports of Covid-19 related deaths and to carry out any investigation which may be required.  The team works closely with agencies including the Health and Safety Executive, Local Authorities, Care Inspectorate and Police Scotland to ensure that all necessary and appropriate enquiries are made in relation to these deaths.  The team has received over 6,000 death reports.  Statistics relating to this work are available on our public website, under our Publications tab, using the keyword options ‘care home deaths’ and ‘hospital deaths’.

In November 2024 we published our Lord Advocate’s guidelines on the investigation and reporting of child deaths and non-accidental injuries in children.  The guidelines were prompted by specific findings of our comprehensive review of child deaths and non-accidental injury in children in order to provide a framework of clarity and consistency for Police Scotland and our staff when dealing with these most sensitive and challenging cases.

During the course of the review there were a number of emerging themes which include –

• Reduction of journey times in child death cases – it is acknowledged that sometimes a child death investigation can take a significant period of time and, in some instances, longer than the child’s short life which is undoubtedly hugely traumatic for families.
• Ensuring best practices and the need to capture learning and improve training in how to sensitively and professionally deal with these cases – this is reflected in the need for a de-brief process, enhanced, structured training for COPFS and also for colleagues including pathologists and Police Scotland.
• Explaining the role of the Procurator Fiscal in death investigations and criminal investigations and what families can expect from us when a child dies.  In particular, who will be involved, when and why, what the processes and timescales are.  De-mystification of the who and what the Procurator Fiscal does is fundamental in providing reassurance and trust for families.
• Trauma informed approach – both in relation to how COPFS staff interact with families, victims and witnesses, taking account of lived experience and also in relation to our staff, recognising the impact that dealing with these cases has on practitioners. Vicarious trauma counselling and a COPFS Internal Network for staff who deal with child deaths/ non-accidental injuries are vitally important to ensure that our people are as well-equipped as they can be to deal with such cases.

Work on the 19 recommendations from the review has begun and will be included in in our next biennial report.

We recognise the importance of learning from the experience of others.  We have collated the reports and findings of previous inquiries into investigations involving issues of race and these are now easily accessed from our internal website with our staff encouraged to consider the contents and apply learning where appropriate in our own investigations into deaths and criminal activity, and in respect of our prosecutorial decision making.  We are in the process of collating findings from investigations involving other protected characteristics to adopt a similar approach.  

The services provided by COPFS are suitable and accessible to all who need to use them.

Our aim

To ensure people have equal opportunity to avail themselves of COPFS services within the criminal justice system.      

Outcomes

Equal access to the criminal justice system must be available to all.  COPFS plays its part in endeavouring to remove barriers to accessing the criminal justice system in general and to our services in particular.

As mentioned earlier, in the most recent Scottish Crime and Justice survey (November 2023), 74% of people thought that the justice system was accessible to all who needed it and 75% thought that accused persons would receive a fair trial, regardless of their identity.

Although much of our contact from customers is by telephone, e-mail, and the internet, we are aware of the need to ensure our buildings are accessible.  We have completed surveys for all our sites and have developed a list of improvements which are currently being considered as part of our estates work programme.

In October 2024 we began a phased rollout of a new digital service for defence agents to securely access disclosure services and case information.  The new portal provides online access for solicitors to digital services and information about cases to allow them to engage with prosecutors to prepare and resolve cases.  This includes Letter of Engagement submissions, Undertaking Notifications and further case engagement features.

The Witness Gateway Programme launched in April 2024 and has developed a portal enabling witnesses and victims to have online access to information related to their case.   In designing and developing the Witness Gateway service, COPFS spoke to victim and witness groups as well as our own staff.  By the end of March 2025, the Witness Gateway was available in all Local Court locations.

Access to the portal is through a secure login when victims and witnesses must first verify their identity. The portal allows victims and witnesses to:  

• update their contact details and information
• view their court appearance date 
• confirm their availability for attending court in Sheriff and Jury cases  
• view their witness statement, and  
• receive text messages or emails alerting them to updates about their case. 

COPFS is now working towards making the Witness Gateway available for witnesses and victims in High Court cases.  The service will continue to be enhanced to deliver new and improved features for users.  

In January 2025, HMIP published its report on our National Enquiry Point, our customer contact centre.  Enquiry Point deals with call and email enquiries from victims, witnesses, next of kin and accused, as well as professionals working in the justice system.  As the first point of contact for many who are seeking information or advice from or providing information to COPFS, Enquiry Point plays a key role in delivering our obligations towards victims and witnesses.

The report found that operators and their managers were committed to delivering the best service possible but could be better supported by the wider organisation.  In addition, operators require better guidance, training, systems and processes.  However, there is much room for improvement. 

The report made 18 recommendations designed to support improvement in how COPFS responds to enquiries.  Actions to achieve these recommendations will be included in our next report.

All new or revised guidance is considered for presentation in alternative formats, such as Easy Read and Plain English and an Easy Read Champion was appointed to oversee this.  By clicking on the Publications tab on our public website, you can filter by publication type of Easy Read, which will list all of these documents, which can be viewed and downloaded.  Examples of material converted into Easy Read include our complaints procedure, a guide to the investigation of deaths and information about our Victim Information and Advice (VIA) service, access to sensitive and personal records policy. 

Currently all our leaflets are available electronically on our public website.  This allows any updates to be made quickly and easily, ensuring our service users have the most up to date information.  The “Being a Witness” and “Going to Court” leaflets were improved to include more helpful information about facilities at court.

We have also worked with our VIA Modernisation Programme to produce a series of child-friendly letter templates that comply with our obligations under UNCRC regulations.  These are letters that are sent to children and their parents / guardians to provide information and updates on cases involving the children as victims and witnesses.  Revision of the letters was led by consultations with Children's 1st and some of the children they support, who have received letters from COPFS previously.

We appreciate that PDF documents may not be suitable for users of assistive technology, therefore readers can request any document in a format that meets their communication need.  We are also working on making all our publications more accessible in line with new accessibility regulations.  

The Support and Services section of our website received 64,200 unique pageviews in the 2024 calendar year, with 10,066 of those pageviews going to the victim services landing page.  The guide for victims and witnesses page has received 50,838 unique pageviews and is the most viewed page on the website for this period after the homepage.

The Corporate Communications team led our transition to accessible communications and worked with content creators throughout COPFS to let them know about their responsibilities and explain what they should do to be more accessible.

Information is also displayed in the public areas of our buildings advising that “We are here to help you” along with supporting guidance.  This was created in partnership with our criminal justice partners and the criminal justice Disability Advisory Group and is displayed in the public reception areas of all our offices.  The aim of the poster is to provide a clear message to the public that justice organisations are happy to offer reasonable adjustments to ensure that people with disabilities and BSL users can access our services without barriers. 

We also work with our partners in the criminal justice system to ensure that those accused of a crime, as well as bereaved relatives, victims and witnesses, have access to high quality interpreting and translation services when accessing our services.  This includes the provision of interpreters for both spoken languages and British Sign Language.  We also provide translations of our documents and correspondence as well as a transcription service for video recordings. 

Our Lothian and Borders equality network organised a film evening for staff and external participants to highlight ‘Surviving Translations.’  The film explores the trauma and life-altering consequences of mistranslation, focusing on the real lived experiences of migrant women here in Scotland.  It includes testimonies from women who fled their homelands in the hope of building a new life in the UK.

The film highlights issues of critical relevance and importance to the criminal justice sector.  We will have contact with victims and witnesses from all over the world and who require an interpreter to provide their accounts to the police and the court.  The film identifies some key issues that all those working in the criminal justice sector should be aware of; including languages intricacies, potential for mistranslation, cultural sensitivities, and small ethnic communities and how all of that can impact on a victim or witness being able to effectively communicate their account to those making significant decisions affecting their lives.  The film also explores of the experiences of translators and interpreters themselves and issues they encounter. 

COPFS has made a public commitment to provide translations of documents upon request from any source and proactively translates correspondence with victims, witnesses, and bereaved relatives where a language need has been identified. 

COPFS also provides interpreters, including British Sign Language interpreters, for victims, witnesses and bereaved relatives who are required to attend at court or wish to follow proceedings during an FAI (Fatal Accident Inquiry).  We also arrange for the translation of several key information documents into the top ten languages used by immigrants to Scotland, all of which are available on our public website.  Any additional requests for specific documents or leaflets to be translated will also be carried out.

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry Team (SCAI) reviews all the evidence before the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, which was set up to investigate the abuse of children in care in Scotland.  Our team attends the Inquiry to hear the evidence of applicants with criminal justice experience.  It is recognised that survivors of abuse in residential care settings are particularly vulnerable and can face a number of challenges when engaging with the criminal justice system. 

Careful consideration of the evidence of applicants with criminal justice experience allows the Crown to carefully reflect and consider how the service we provide to these vulnerable survivors can be improved. Consultation with survivors led to a bespoke service for communicating updates to victims in criminal investigations involving extradition being introduced by the SCAI team and an improved service for such victims across COPFS will be introduced later this year.

The Law Officers approved the creation of an ‘Abuse in Institutions Board’.  The purpose of the Board is to oversee all ongoing pieces of work and new proposals to improve the service delivered to survivors of institutional abuse and to deliver increased efficiencies in the investigation and prosecution of these cases.  The Board is taking forward three key areas of improvement in the prosecution of cases concerning abuse in residential care: survivor communication; efficiency and quality; and knowledge and awareness. 

The need for clear communication with next of kin and victims in all of our cases is vital across the prosecution service.  At all times, we remain sensitive to the needs of bereaved relatives at this distressing time and, in accordance with the Family Liaison Charter, it is our aim to keep relatives informed about any deaths that COPFS is investigating. 

This Charter sets out how we will liaise with the family of a person in relation to whose death a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) may be or is to be held.  It sets out the different stages of the investigation process, the information which will be provided to bereaved families and the timescales for giving information.  Insofar as it is possible to do so, additional information will be provided at any stage of the investigation upon request.

It should be noted that bereaved next of kin now take part in our annual child death training – sharing lived experience with our teams.  Working with and learning from families in this way is not something which we did until very recently but it is incredibly impactful and essential to improving the way in which we deal with death investigations.

COPFS employees are knowledgeable about equality legislation and protected characteristics and treat all victims, witnesses, accused persons and colleagues with dignity and respect.

Our aim

To develop a culture where COPFS employees are knowledgeable about equality and inclusion issues and demonstrate positive attitudes, in respect of all the protected characteristics, in our work in prosecution, unexpected deaths and in our relationships at work and with justice partners.

Outcomes

To ensure we meet the needs of our diverse communities, upholding dignity, being respectful and demonstrating professionalism are all fundamental to our work – prosecution, investigation of deaths, complaints against the police, Ultimus Haeres (relating to persons who die without leaving a will and have no known or traceable relatives), employees relationships and stakeholder engagement.

Fostering an inclusive culture helps each of us to benefit from a wider range of different perspectives, experiences, and skills.  We believe that this creates a happier, more productive working environment for us all.

One key to promoting this culture and protecting our people is seeking to eradicate bullying or harassment at work.  The Anti-Harassment and Anti-Bullying Policy supports this aim by setting out the steps COPFS will take to investigate and deal with complaints of bullying or harassment, and how COPFS supports those affected.

We support 13 staff networks including networks for our employees living with a disability and LGBT+ colleagues and for those with an expressed interest in caring, gender, menopause, neurodiversity, lifelong learning, bereavement support, mental health, race and religion and belief. 

Our two newest staff networks are The Children’s Network and Chronic Pain.

The Children’s network was established in July 2024 and is available to support colleagues dealing with prosecution or death investigation cases involving children – whether as victims, witnesses, or accused persons. The purpose of the group is to:

• support colleagues in terms of wellbeing/peer support and by sharing knowledge and best practice
• improve the service that COPFS delivers to children (as victims, witnesses, or accused)
• raise awareness of developments in law, policy or practice
• review new policies and address any issues in existing policy, process or guidance
• promote compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
• establish internal and external points of contact and expertise.

These cases can be incredibly emotive and sensitive, often presenting real challenges for colleagues and the objectives of the Network are to promote a trauma informed approach, to support colleagues, ensure their wellbeing is not being impacted and also to assist them in a practical sense by providing up-to-date developments in Law and Policies.  Their aim is to improve service provisions for children, promote compliance with UNCRC and to establish knowledge experts internally and externally.  The network is supported by four new Equality Ambassadors for children.

Our Chronic Pain Network was launched in March 2025.  It’s remit is to support employees who experience chronic or persistent pain.  The group aims to create a safe space where colleagues can openly discuss their conditions, share how it affects their work, support each other, and connect with appropriate external support groups.  As this is a new network, members will have the opportunity to shape the group's activities.  Both the Champions for Equality and Health and Wellbeing at COPFS support this initiative. 

In 2024, in collaboration with the Disability Action Network, HR Diversity Inclusion and Wellbeing (DIW) team conducted a survey across COPFS to establish a better understanding of Disability as a protected characteristic within the service.

When exploring across all intersections, of the responses received, over 50% indicated that they either identified with having a disability (both physical and non-physical/hidden) or identified with having a long term or substantial health condition which has an impact on their daily activities.

In total, there were 205 unique disabilities or health conditions listed, highlighting the diverse range of needs and experiences among staff across the service.

Survey participants were asked to rate, on a 1-10 scale [with 10 being extremely likely to recommend COPFS as an employer of choice], how likely they would be to recommend COPFS as an employer of choice regarding the support to employees with a disability - 7 was the average score across all respondents.  

One initiative delivered by the Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing team was the publication of Inclusive and Accessible Meeting guidance, in November 2024.  The guidance aims to provide practical advice and etiquette for ensuring that in person and online meetings are accessible and inclusive to the well-being of all participants, with a particular focus on how inclusive practices can support diverse groups.

Our Menopause network make excellent use of Viva Engage to share information, articles, online sessions links to podcasts about symptoms, treatments, and general myth-busting.  Since January 2025, they have hosted monthly ‘pause pods’ on Teams which are designed to provide a supportive space for colleagues to share their experiences, swap stories, and support each other through the journey of menopause.  The network has become a cornerstone of support and education within COPFS, reflecting our commitment to fostering an inclusive and understanding workplace.

The work the network does in particularly critical in COPFS where 70% of staff are women, who may face the effects of menopause at some point in their careers. Without the support of the network, staff may find themselves navigating this stage of life without appropriate resources or guidance, potentially impacting their wellbeing and job satisfaction.  The network ensures that everyone has access to the support they need, creating a more supportive workplace.

The Neurodiversity Support Network (NSN) organises regular Autism Awareness training for staff.  The course is delivered by Autism Initiatives and it has received excellent feedback from staff who have attended.  They too use Viva Engage to share advice, resources and run a regular ‘Thought for a Thursday’ post to generate discussions on various aspects of neurodiversity. 

They provide inputs to the Local Court Induction week.  This increases awareness of neurodivergence across the service and often leads to managers and staff getting in touch with the NSN with questions, seeking advice and further information.  They help staff exploring their own neurodivergence or that of family members, friends or colleagues find language and support in that journey

NSN members engage in the mentoring programme and raise awareness at senior management level, gradually changing the way COPFS considers neurodiversity in all we do.  They also engage in buddying and mentoring to all colleagues, providing a listening ear, friendship, understanding and mental health check-ins for each other and staff not in the network but affected by neurodiversity.

The Lifelong Learning network offers support with funding applications, provides advice on balancing work and study and a place for learners and prospective learners to chat about their experiences and what learning activities they are engaged in.  They have teamed up with our Learning and Development Division to promote the national Learning at Work Week, which is now part of our annual calendar of events.

The Inclusion Network have worked closely with HR to increase the diversity of staff who sit on recruitment boards.  Working with our Believe in COPFS network, they organised Islamophobia training for staff in November 2024.  Members were also involved in working with the Lothian & Borders equality network on the Celebrating Persons of Colour in Law event held at the start of the 2024 and in organising events for White Ribbon Day. 

The Believe network contributed a number of articles to Viva Engage on topics such as such as Islamophobia, Diwali festival, Ramadan, Open Day at Glasgow Central Mosque, Vaisakhi festival, the overlap between Ramadan and Lent, and what it’s like to wear a hijab in Scotland.  They embody the spirit of curiosity to promote trust and respect.

Two of our Trans Ambassadors recorded a series of podcasts about ‘All things transgender’ which won the Innovation award at our 2024 Equality Awards event.  They talk openly and honestly about their own experiences to the discussion around transgender and shed light on really important topics which people may shy away from to raise awareness and increase understanding for everyone.  The format of a podcast meant we got to feel their emotion and personal insights which was really impactful.  

HR has launched several new policies in the past two years to help and support staff with protected characteristics.  For example, our Carers Policy.  The policy introduces a range of support for carers, including paid leave for caring duties. This is in addition to the other entitlements contained within our Special Leave Policy.  Paid compassionate care leave of up to six months to care for a terminally ill dependant.  A Carers Passport has also been introduced, allowing colleagues to register their caring duties and workplace adjustments and take these requirements with them throughout their COPFS career.  Advice and support from the Carers Network was essential to the success of this policy.

The Menopause policy aims to raise awareness of the stages of menopause and its symptoms, while providing clarity, understanding and direction on how COPFS will respond to menopause related conditions for affected individuals.  The policy includes information and support for all colleagues affected, both directly and indirectly; advice for supporting managers and colleagues; details of workplace adjustments available, which can be recorded within a Workplace Adjustments Passport and a range of resources and support channels available to staff.

Our Gender-Based Violence policy is a framework for the organisation, managers, and employees to support colleagues who have experienced, or are experiencing, gender-based violence or abuse.  The policy sets out what support is available to those experiencing gender-based violence and abuse; how managers can support employees experiencing gender-based violence; how any employee can have a supportive conversation with a colleague who discloses their experience of gender-based violence and that any employee who perpetrates gender-based violence contravenes the policy and may be subject to disciplinary action.  The Gender Equality network were collaborative partners in the creation of this policy.

Our Bereavement policy was launched in October 2024.  We recognise that bereavement and loss can be one of the biggest personal challenges a person can experience.  This policy aims to reduce the stigma surrounding these topics so that employees and managers can feel comfortable and confident to talk about these situations.  The policy allows staff the time off, to deal with personal distress and related practical arrangements.  It covers the leave and pay that staff are entitled to in the event of miscarriage, still-birth, or the death of a child.  Our Bereavement Support network provided advice and support for this policy. 

Based on the exchange of information with stakeholders, we can raise awareness, educate, and inform our employees on the work of third sector organisations to assist them in their role and support their colleagues.  To do this, we regularly create information pages on Connect, our intranet so our employees can access guidance easily.  

All of our staff equality networks have a Viva Engage community where they post news, share information, experiences and social conversation.  Many cross-post to other equality and non-equality communities, sharing information across the organisation.

There is also an Equality and Inclusion Viva Engage community which shares corporate information on the topic. Many of the network messages are also amplified on this channel.

We have also utilised Update, our internal employee blog, to actively promote a wide range of equality and inclusion initiatives, events and key dates including:

• Stress awareness
• Religiously significant events including Easter, Christmas, and Ramadan
• LGBT History Month
• International Women’s Day
• Trans Day of Visibility
• Mental Health awareness events
• Parenting and life transition events
• Neurodiversity Awareness sessions
• Black History Month including virtual staff events
• Promotion of our Employee Assistance Programme
• Awareness of gender-based violence and online events
• Promotion of our Equality Awards and the achievements of colleagues
• Menopause awareness and resources
• Gender awareness including personal experiences of COPFS’ female leaders
• Promotion of inclusion in video calls
• Chronic and Acute pain support session including launch of a new network
• Carers Awareness week
• Learning at Work Week

This employee blog has proved to be a popular and effective way to raise awareness and understanding of specific aspects of protected characteristics.

As mentioned earlier, COPFS now has 118 equality ambassadors – staff with a high level of knowledge in one or more aspects of a particular protected group – to provide staff with information and advice about equality and inclusion and to facilitate engagement with a variety of stakeholders. 

As a core part of the ambassador role, each ambassador can engage in a two-way mentoring programme, whereby they are partnered with a senior member of staff.  The programme offers an opportunity to meet different people with different experiences across the service.

This interactive programme equips our senior staff with new knowledge across various areas of equality, diversity, and inclusion and they are encouraged to share agreed components of this learning with their peers and senior leadership teams.  Our ambassadors have direct access to a senior colleague, and this provides them with an opportunity to discuss key areas important to them which can lead to awareness raising associated with their protected characteristic or career development.

We have formally captured feedback on the programme with 100% of the participants stating that the programme is worthwhile and thought-provoking and that their knowledge of equality matters had increased as a result of participation.  Each participant also stated they would recommend the programme to another colleague. 

In our recent phase of the programme, engagement was high and both senior staff and Equality Ambassadors found participation in the programme to be beneficial in terms of increased knowledge and support for all who participated.

The use of video conferencing facilities like Microsoft Teams have become integral to the way we communicate internally.  Without the geographical barriers that usually prevented staff from joining in, we’ve noticed an increase in staff taking part in meetings and group sessions remotely and staff with hearing impairments have advised that they have benefited from the improved sound and ability to also lip read all participants on the screen equally, allowing them to participate more fully in discussions.

We’ve also increased our digital offerings by creating video channels where recorded group sessions can be accessed by those who couldn’t attend live on the day.  This has further removed barriers to information for our employees by helping them take part at a time and place that suits them.  We have a dedicated Equality and Inclusion channel that we promote regularly in other equality communications.

We now have a group of 33 Mental Health Ambassadors, who have created their own network to actively promote awareness of mental health within the workplace and have carried out a vast range of activities across COPFS. 

Activities included promoting articles about healthy working lives, making best use of remote working, tips on how to make the most of your new working situation, prompts to take regular breaks, ideas to help keep kids busy at home, supporting teenagers and children’s mental health, suicide prevention talks and much more.

In the 2024 Civil Service People Survey (published in January 2025):

• 77% of COPFS employees felt their organisation respects individual differences and cultures, 
• 88% of employees feel that they are treated with respect by the people they work with,
• 76% feel that COPFS is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, 
• 82% feel that they are treated fairly at work and
• 92% feel they are trusted to carry out their job effectively.
• 90% of managers feel confident in managing their team.

The COPFS annual Staff Equality and Inclusion conference has been running since 2012 and focuses on the importance of mainstreaming equality in everything we do. 

Delegates share knowledge and best practice and the conference is used to launch fresh initiatives.  For example, the 2019 conference saw us launch the first ever COPFS equality awards in which we formally recognised the contribution and achievement of our people in relation to raising awareness of protected characteristics and creating links with external organisations. 

Since 2021, the conference returned to an in-person event but, with the help of streaming technology, staff who are unable to attend in person can join the event online.  In 2024 our keynote speaker delivered her speech live from Columbia, illustrating that geographical distance is no barrier to participation.

In advance of the conference, which now runs in December, we have introduced a Staff Equality Month.  In November 2023, we published 6 news articles and 11 staff blogs on the Connect, celebrating the breadth of equality work carried out throughout the year.  These articles were viewed a total of 26,004 times by colleagues.

Colleagues were particularly interested in articles highlighting nominees for the COPFS Equality Awards and personal stories from staff to mark Trans Awareness Week.

COPFS has a Valuing Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion eLearning hub (VED&I), which makes use of the best of all equalities learning offered by the UK civil service.  We combine this with personal stories from our employees who have shared their experiences of their lives and inclusion in COPFS through our employee blogs.  Within the VED&I hub we encourage engagement with our diversity ambassadors and provide details of further engagement options.  

We ask that our employees complete this eLearning during their probationary period if new to the organisation and encourage regular visits to the VED&I Hub for continuous professional development and refresher training.  Use of the hub is monitored and evaluated in terms of content and compliance with learning deemed to be a requirement of all COPFS roles.

All new staff joining COPFS receive a presentation from our Equality Champion which emphasises the importance of equality and inclusion in everything that we do, including consideration of the Equality Act (2010) and our duties both as a prosecution service and as an employer.

Our Equality Champion also meets in person with each new trainee solicitor and prosecutor joining COPFS where they are reminded of the importance of giving consideration to equality and inclusion in prosecutorial decision making and the importance of attending training sessions led by our networks.  This helps to increase their understanding of their own colleagues but also of the victims, witnesses and accused persons who they will be expected to treat with respect and professionalism and without bias throughout their career with COPFS.

Becoming trauma informed

In relation to our commitment to becoming a trauma informed organisation, in August 2024 we appointed a dedicated Lead for trauma informed practices who is responsible for overseeing implementation of the trauma informed justice framework within COPFS.  This includes the establishment of feedback loops and considerations around ethical power-sharing with persons with lived experience.  This position sits within Policy Division, amongst related work such as Summary Case Management and the Victims and Witnesses Team, reporting to the Procurator Fiscal for Domestic Abuse.

Communication was identified as a priority area for review in terms of the impact our communications may have on persons with lived experience of trauma.  Consequently there has been a focus to ensure that trauma informed principles are embedded in change.  

In January 2025, the People at Heart method to communicating with persons affected by crime was launched.  This includes a written guide, an introductory webinar, half day training sessions and an e-learning module.  This has been positively received by staff and work continues to ensure our written styles are updated to reflect the approach.  For example, all VIA letters sent to victims in domestic cases have been updated using a trauma informed approach.

In March 2025 COPFS launched the new NHS Education for Scotland justice specific e-learning at both informed and skilled level and the Scottish Prosecution College is working to develop our own role specific enhanced level training.

COPFS recognises however that while training and awareness are vital to becoming a trauma informed organisation, this is a long term, whole system change, rooted in culture and will involve looking at every aspect of our service through a trauma informed lens.  Consequently a stand-alone project to implement the trauma-informed justice framework has been created. Board members from across COPFS have been identified and a planning workshop for priorities over the coming financial year took place on 10 March 2025.  Additionally, a team is being formed to support the wide breadth of work required to implement the level of change required.

Our National Enquiry Point service is for members of the public and defence solicitors to contact with queries about the prosecution service or cases they are involved in.  Sometimes these calls can be quite traumatic, both for the caller and staff member.  Some callers talk about contemplating suicide.  To deal with such conversations, all Enquiry Point staff and managers must complete SafeTALK (Tell; Ask; Listen and Keepsafe).  This provides our advisers with practical tools and the confidence to help callers in distress and also provides support for the advisers themselves, to enable them to deal with the emotional fall-out from a traumatic conversation.

In total, 49 of our people have completed the Mental Health First Aid qualification.  The 12-hour accredited qualification provides participants with the knowledge to recognise a wide range of mental health conditions and learn about the support/therapy provided by professional healthcare providers.  They learn how to start a supportive conversation and when and how to signpost a person to seek appropriate professional help.  Participants discover the impact of substance abuse and learn how to recognise and manage stress.  Participants also learn about the first aid action plan for mental health, how to put it in place and understand how to implement a positive mental health culture in the workplace.

In summary, we regularly utilise internal communication platforms such as Connect and Viva Engage as well as stakeholder interaction to build our employees’ knowledge of equality and inclusion issues.  Through effective communications and staff network activity, we actively promote positive attitudes towards the lived experiences of our service users and our colleagues.

Scotland will be a safer place for everyone as a result of our collaborative working with other organisations.

Our aim

To work collaboratively with our justice partners, third sector groups and key stakeholders to provide a coordinated approach to the provision of criminal justice and to ensure best practice is achieved and shared across the justice sector.

Outcomes

COPFS recognises that to provide an effective prosecution and deaths investigation service, it does not operate in a vacuum and effective collaborative working with other organisations provides a structured criminal justice response to both the prosecution of crime and how victims and witnesses are dealt with throughout the criminal justice process. 

Victims and witnesses 

The Lord Advocate is the Co-chair of the Scottish Government’s Victims Taskforce.  Its primary role is to co-ordinate and drive action to improve the experiences of victims and witnesses within the criminal justice system, whilst ensuring a fair justice system for those accused of crime.  The taskforce brings together senior decision makers from justice organisations, the legal profession, academia and the voluntary sector.  Some of their objectives include:

• Reduce and, where possible, eliminate the need for victims to retell their story to different organisations as they seek help.
• Review how criminal justice organisations communicate with victims and witnesses and develop a new guide to ensure that written communication is victim centred and trauma informed.
• Support the development of a trauma-informed workforce.
• Improve the experience of victims of rape and sexual assault.

We have an agreement with Rape Crisis Scotland to receive anonymous feedback in sexual offence cases in order to improve our services.  The HMIPS report on the prosecution of summary domestic abuse cases recommended the introduction of further feedback loops.  This will feed into the work of the VIA modernisation programme.

In December 2024 we published our updated Standards of Service for Victims and Witnesses.  This is a partnership agreement between Police Scotland, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, the Scottish Prison Service, the Parole Board for Scotland and COPFS.  It sets out the standards of service for victims and witnesses at each stage of the criminal justice process and who you can contact for help and advice. 

Our Equality Champion, Ruth McQuaid, is currently a member of the Scottish Government’s Hate Crime Strategic Partnership Group, which is chaired by the Minister for Victims and Community Safety, and works in partnership with Scottish Government and organisations including Police Scotland, SCTS, COSLA, BEMIS, Interfaith Scotland, Disability Alliance, RespectMe, CEMVO, the Equality Network and Scottish Trans Alliance to address hate crime and offensive behaviour.  It has been consulted on a number of hate crime campaigns over the last two years. 

In March 2023 the Group published its new Hate Crime Strategy, which set out key priorities for tackling hatred and prejudice in Scotland and supported implementation of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021.  We supported the launch of the strategy and continue to support all initiatives to raise awareness of hate crime legislation.

Ruth is also the COPFS trustee for I AM ME Scotland, a charity which works collaboratively with a range of partners including Police Scotland and Renfrewshire Local Authority to develop new and innovative ways of raising awareness of disability hate crime.

In 2024 we worked with the charity in an advisory capacity on the creation of their resource You Are Not Alone – a series of videos around child exploitation.   The charity worked with young people in secure units and inmates of Polmont Young Offenders Institution, developing their stories into powerful scripts for the project.  The videos were designed to educate young people about radicalisation, county lines drug activity and the impact of grooming as well as coercion and control to entice young people into criminal activity.

The videos were directed by care-experienced young people from Renfrewshire and the results are now available for view on YouTube as well as via the charity’s education platform, which also includes lesson plans to accompany the videos.  The videos and their accompanying lessons will be used as part of rehabilitation work in Polmont.  They will also be available for mainstream secondary school students and teachers.

Up to April 2025, 17 COPFS offices and 35 SCTS buildings are members of the I AM ME / Police Scotland Keep Safe programme.  After a review by Police Scotland, they concluded that the initiative, society and policing have significantly evolved since it was first established in 2016, and it was agreed that it is no longer feasible to continue with Keep Safe.  We will continue to work with I AM ME Scotland to develop alternative ways to help vulnerable members of local communities feel safe and free from abuse.

We are signatories to the Joint Protocol entitled ‘Working Together for Victims and Witnesses’.  The Victims & Witnesses Consultation Group was formed in 2022.  Ruth McQuaid represents COPFS on this group, which also includes Police Scotland, Victim Support Scotland and the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service.  Their aim is to provide an improved, consistent and trauma-informed service across Scotland for those victims and witnesses attending court who require support through a collaborative working model.

Following the review of mental health and policing by HMIC [His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary] in October 2023, a Partnership Delivery Group was set up by Scottish Government, Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority to look at implementing the review’s recommendations.  It’s a cross-sector group working across organisational boundaries to deliver mental health support to individuals in a person centred and trauma informed way.   

In collaboration with the partnership, in February 2025, the Scottish Government published the ‘Multi-Agency Partnership Approach to Distress - The Framework for Collaboration’.  The Partnership Delivery Group also published ‘Collaborative Commitments’ to support the implementation of that framework.  The framework is intended to ensure that where people in mental health distress or crisis present to a service that is not best placed to help them e.g. to emergency services, there are effective pathways in place to make sure the person is directed to the right care.  The idea is that there should be ‘no wrong door’ and all agencies should work together to get people the care they need no matter what service they present to.

COPFS continued to demonstrate its commitment to robust and effective multi-agency efforts in tackling domestic abuse and protecting children affected by domestic abuse by working with Police Scotland to review the Joint Protocol between COPFS and Police Scotland which sets out the agreed approach to the investigation, reporting and prosecution of domestic abuse in Scotland in light of the articles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.  Consultation took place with key stakeholders to review the Joint Protocol to ensure it reflected best practice.

COPFS worked closely with Scottish Government, Police Scotland and SCTS to create a new IT system to record aggravation codes, (E.g. codes to record Offending whilst on Bail, Domestic Abuse Indicator, Offence against a Child and the seven new hate crime aggravation codes created by the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021).

Equally Safe is Scotland's national strategy for preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls and COPFS is a key partner in the multi-agency work flowing from the strategy to prevent further abuse and improve justice responses to tackling this type of violence and abuse.  The Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy was launched in April 2023.  Ruth McQuaid is a member of the Violence Against Women and Girl’s Strategic Oversight Board.

Bairns Hoose 

Bairns’ Hoose is Scotland’s approach to the Icelandic ‘Barnahus’, which means ‘children’s house’.  Bairns’ Hoose offers holistic, child-centred support to those who have been victims or witness of abuse and to children under the age of criminal responsibility whose behaviour has caused harm.  Bairns’ Hoose is all about connecting services around the needs of the child by collaborating across agencies and disciplines.  

The four rooms approach does this by bringing together child protection, health, justice and recovery services in one setting.  It’s important to reduce the number of times children are asked to retell their stories as this can be difficult and retraumatising.  Instead, trauma-informed practice is prioritised to support the child’s recovery in a safe, respectful, friendly, and welcoming environment.

COPFS Policy officials were involved in the development of the Bairns’ Hoose Standards, which reflect Scottish Government’s commitment to developing ‘Bairns’ Hooses’ for all eligible children who are victims or witnesses to abuse or violence by 2028.  Implementation of the Bairns Hoose in Scotland is taking place on a phased basis, involving (i) a Pathfinder Phase, (ii) a Pilot Phase, and (iii) National Rollout. 

Six pathfinder sites were selected and announced in October 2023, namely, North Strathclyde, Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City, Fife, Tayside and the Outer Hebrides.  Our Policy team assessed the impact of these sites on COPFS in liaison with local operational offices.  We now have local leads across our geographical locations to provide overarching support and guidance to ensure national consistency in the development of the Bairns Hooses and there is an internal working group carrying out this work.  

In order to raise awareness of our role in criminal justice, we have delivered presentations on Scottish Government webinars, joined expert panels at events and providing an 'information pack' to partner organisations.

Child death investigations

Collaborative working is key to continuous learning and sustained improvements so as to make a tangible difference in child deaths.  Whilst COPFS is the sole deaths investigation authority in Scotland, there is a collective responsibility across society to reduce and prevent child deaths wherever possible.  

To that end, future working with Scottish Government, social and healthcare colleagues and other stakeholders is fundamental to making meaningful, practical change which is reflected in the need for multi-agency workstreams to address ongoing issues and challenges as part of the COPFS Child Death and Non Accidental Injuries Improvement Board.

Reciprocal training

As part of our ongoing commitment to training and development of our employees, COPFS accepts training input from a number of third sector groups and key stakeholders. This includes training input from Abused Men in Scotland, Age Scotland, ASSIST, Cairns Trust, Children 1st, CYCP [Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice], Epilepsy Scotland, Autism Initiatives, Rape Crisis, SCRA, Scottish Women’s Aid, Safe Lives, Shakti, Social Work Services Glasgow, Women's Aid, and the Witness Service.

In a reciprocal manner, COPFS has provided training input to numerous organisations including the Judicial Institute of Scotland, Queen Margaret University Forensics course and Police Scotland, where we deliver almost weekly presentations on various courses including Probationer Training, and their Advanced Investigator courses as well as ad hoc inputs for their Hate Crime Tactical Advisers training course.

COPFS collaborated with the National Joint Investigative Interviewing Team to host two learning events in February 2025, focusing on Joint Investigative Interviewing and its use within the criminal justice system.  The National Joint Investigative Interviewing Team is a collaborative partnership between Social Work Scotland, Police Scotland and COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities).

The aim of these events was to create an environment of mutual understanding where we staff can learn about the Scottish Child Interview Model (SCIM), and similarly the National JII Team can take away insights from us about the use of JIIs in prosecution cases to reflect this feedback in future learning for interviewers.

Attendance at these events was a valuable and exclusive opportunity to gain a first-hand insight into the stages of preparation prior to a JII and the format of prompts and questions used by interviewers outlined by the Scottish Child Interview Model (SCIM).  Prosecutors gained a fuller understanding of how they might best utilise JIIs in live cases.  Importantly, the sessions explored how the SCIM takes account of the impact of trauma and adversity, speech language and communication needs, and explored the application of evidence-based approaches to the forensic interviewing of children.

As part of our Youth Justice Series, we have participated in webinars to educate all staff on areas related to child accused and child victims and witness.  Speakers have attended from Children 1st to discuss human trafficking, the Children’s Reporter and the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ).

COPFS and CYCJ have collaborated to produce a video presentation to share with all staff at COPFS to give an insight into the role of social work when dealing with a child accused who appears in court and where they are at risk of being remanded in custody.

COPFS hosted a conference for Specialist Reporting Agencies (SRAs) in November 2023.  An SRA is an organisation, other than Police Scotland, who have authority to submit a prosecution report to COPFS.  Examples include HM Revenue and Customs, SEPA, and trading standards teams within local authorities.  There are over 100 SRAs active in Scotland.

The Solicitor General introduced the event, and presentations were given by representatives of various teams within COPFS and also by Police Scotland.  The primary objective of the event was to ensure high standards in reported cases.  This included a focus on prosecutorial decision making with reference to legal considerations imported by the Human Rights Act 1998 and UNCRC obligations.

British Sign Language

COPFS is part of the Working Group on Interpreting and Translation (WGIT) whose remit is to establish common standards for interpreting and translation throughout the Scottish justice system.  The current membership includes COPFS, SCTS, Scottish Prison Service (SPS), The Law Society of Scotland, Police Scotland, Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA), and Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB). 

COPFS is also a member of the BSL Justice Advisory Group, which is led by Scottish Government.  The long-term goal for the justice sector is: BSL users (which includes D/deaf and/or Deafblind people whose first or preferred language is BSL) will have fair and equal access to the civil, criminal and juvenile justice systems in Scotland. 

Autism and Asperger’s

All the justice partners recognise that we need to improve the services we provide to people with autism spectrum conditions who are travelling through the justice systems.  Working with Autism Network Scotland and the National Autistic Society, we have improved the volume and variety of information available to our employees about autism and have delivered numerous presentations on autism to those dealing directly with people with autism and Asperger’s, whether they are victims, witnesses, bereaved relatives or accused persons. 

Led by our Ambassador for autism, COPFS has created a series of pages offering guidance on neurodiverse conditions such as Autism, Asperger's, Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADD, ADHD and Dyslexia.  The pages also provide understanding, guidance and support for anyone who encounters people with these conditions as part of their work at COPFS.

Epilepsy

COPFS and Epilepsy Scotland have an excellent working relationship and have collaborated on a number of projects to support people with epilepsy over the past 15 years.  Their CEO has been a judge at several of the National finals for our public speaking competition.  However, we were not aware of any participants having epilepsy taking part in these competitions.

Therefore, in late 2023, we were approached by Epilepsy Scotland and asked to create a bespoke public speaking competition for young people with epilepsy, to help mark the 70th anniversary of Epilepsy Scotland in 2024.  Bespoke guidance was drafted with support from experts on the condition so that students with a neurological condition would be able to participate in a public speaking competition.  Students from three different secondary schools took part in this inaugural event, which was held in Parliament House in November 2024.  Feedback from the students and their families was excellent and we have been asked to make this an annual event. 

COPFS is an inclusive employer with a workforce which proportionately reflects the diversity of Scottish society and where employees have an equal opportunity to achieve their full potential.

Our aim

To build a workforce which proportionately represents the diversity of Scottish society and the communities we serve, and create an inclusive, respectful work environment where our people can achieve their full potential.

Designed for Success

Designed for Success was launched in May 2024.  It will update our structure, governance arrangements and approach to talent management to make the prosecution service more effective and resilient, both now and in the long term. 

A core aim is to improve our approach to succession planning and will give more colleagues access to leadership and management training earlier in their career as well as improving career progression opportunities for those in specialist roles.  This will create clearer, more defined career progression opportunities for colleagues in all aspects of our service.

External validation – TIDE Benchmark

COPFS has been a member of enei (Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion) since 2012.  We have completed their TIDE (Talent Inclusion & Diversity Evaluation) benchmarking questionnaire since 2020.  TIDE measures our performance across a number of areas including Recruitment and Attraction, Strategy and Planning, Training and Development, Communication and Engagement and Procurement.  The TIDE mark allows us to measure progress on equality, diversity and inclusion, both year-on-year and in comparison, with our peers. 

In both 2023 and 2024 COPFS achieved a Gold Standard TIDE award mark.  In 2023 our overall score was 87%, which placed us 10th out of 171 organisations across the UK.  In 2024 our overall score was 86%, which placed us 24th out of 185 organisations across the UK and 3rd within the legal sector.   We scored particularly high in Strategy and Planning, Communication and Engagement and Leadership and Accountability. 

To quote from the enei TIDE mark:

“Full inclusion is a temporary state few organisations will ever achieve.  However, the best recognise this and understand that a drive for continuous improvement is in the best interest of the organisation, their employees and stakeholders.”

Protected Characteristics

The results of the 2022 Scottish census are the main source for our comparison when considering whether our workforce proportionately represents the diversity of Scottish society.

Gender

The results of the 2022 census established that 51.4% of the Scottish population was female.  When the results were restricted to those aged 15-65, to reflect broadly the available workforce, the proportion of females was 51%. 

In the 2023 Mainstreaming Report, COPFS statistics revealed that 70.9% of our workforce was female.  In 2025, information taken from our HR system shows that 70.0% our workforce is female.  The number of staff who disclosed they were non-binary was too small to report on at this time and some of our staff chose not to disclose their gender.

We recruit staff at two entry levels – administrative / caseworkers and lawyers.  The ratio for administrative / caseworkers discloses 69.8% are female.  For lawyers (including trainees), the proportion is 70.5%.  We continue to recruit a disproportionately high proportion of female staff at entry level.  However, the process of recruiting staff is assessed through an anonymous sift. 

Our lawyers account for 31.5% of our overall workforce and an essential requirement to work as a lawyer at COPFS is the successful completion of a Scots Law degree. 

According to the Law Society of Scotland, in 2020 more than two-thirds of new entrants to the legal profession were women and is now understood to be approaching 75%.  We are therefore recruiting from a predominately female pool of candidates.  Consequentially, our proportion of lawyers reflects the male/female ratio of law graduates in Scotland.

To reach out to all potential future employees, we are continuing to invest in our attendance at school career fairs and university events to encourage students to consider a career with COPFS.  We also work with schools across Scotland to provide work experience opportunities for secondary school children through Career Ready. 

We have a network of transgender ambassadors who are engaged in making positive outreaches to the Scottish trans community.  Our ambassadors provide updates to our employees, increasing their knowledge on gender matters.  Our trans ambassadors continue to promote transgender day of visibility and transgender awareness week.

We continue to raise awareness of gender matters internally through our employee blog – UPDATE.  For example, our Gender Equality Network posted a ‘get to know me’ blog in Celebration of International Woman’s Day centred around the theme of ‘Accelerate Action’.

In 2025, the number of senior staff at SCS [Senior Civil Service] level was 30 employees - 46.7%  are female even though our workforce is 70% female.  Positive action to provide mentoring and opportunities to access networks across criminal justice is continuing.  We currently have five gender and eight trans equality ambassadors raising awareness of this characteristic across COPFS, all of whom are actively engaged in mentoring activities.

Shortly after the commencement of nationwide lockdown, we introduced a change to our approach to flexible working bandwidths.  Our employees can now work their contracted hours over seven days rather than five, and a removal of the bandwidth of when work could be done.  This significant change has enabled our employees to balance caring responsibilities with their core role in the organisation.

Flexible working opportunities are available to our employees at all grades and have been accessed by all colleagues, including those at SCS level, demonstrating that alternative work patterns are not a barrier to progressing within COPFS.  Employees have also been promoted whilst on new parent leave, demonstrating that these circumstances are not a barrier to progressing within COPFS.  We also now have infertility treatment as well as pregnancy / breastfeeding ambassadors to support staff. 

We have a suite of family friendly policies including Adoption Leave, Maternity Leave, Shared and Additional Parental Leave as well as Carers and Menopause policies.

We recognise that restrictions on mobility have been a barrier to our employees accessing promotion opportunities in the past and have become more flexible about where employees can work by making greater use of technology and are continuing to explore and expand opportunities for remote working including location neutral and homeworking.  In fact, the COPFS response to the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in a very sudden shift from working in an office to the vast majority of employees working from home. 

The coronavirus pandemic provided a significant insight into the flexibility we are now able to offer our employees.  This includes the ability to appear in court via video link rather than in person.  This has greatly benefitted staff who work in some of our remote island communities, making full use of every virtual option available.

Disability

The 2022 census established that 21.3% of the entire Scottish population disclosed a disability or long-term, activity-limiting, health problem.  However, this figure decreases to 20% of the working age population. 

The percentage of people reporting a mental health condition in the census increased from 4.4% in 2011 to 11.3% in 2022. This was the largest increase across condition types.  In 2022 15.4% of 16- to 24-year-olds reported a mental health condition in the census, up from 2.5% in 2011.

In 2023, 6.5% of our employees declared a disability with 2.8% choosing not to disclose this information.  As at 31 Mach 2025, 8.7% of our employees declared a disability while 5.2% of employees chose not to disclose such information.  It should also be noted that of the 131 people who joined COPFS in 2024, 8.4% declared a disability during the recruitment process.

COPFS is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for people with disabilities.  There is now a dedicated team within HR – Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing to lead on this work from a HR perspective.  They have created a My Wellbeing Space on our internal intranet and publish a Health and Wellbeing Newsletter every month. 

We have five support groups that focus on disability: the Disability Action Group, COPFS Carers Network, Neurodiversity Support Network, Chronic Pain Support Group and COPFS Mental Health Network.  This is complimented by ambassadors for a variety of disability related issues including migraine, acquired brain injuries and hearing and visual impairments.  All Ambassadors have played a pivotal role in awareness-raising.  Some of our staff have also completed the Mental Health First Aider programme.

Additionally, the last two years have seen us reach a record level of 52 staff ambassadors who represent various aspects of disability including mental health, physical disabilities and neurodiversity.  They are responsible for engaging with external expert groups and also raising awareness of disability related issues amongst staff.  They are encouraged to support campaigns such as “See Me” which highlights mental health issues and actively highlight Mental Health related events including World Bipolar Day and World Suicide Prevention Day and provide SafeTALK training events to support employees dealing with this issue, either in their workplace or personal life. 

COPFS now publishes detailed information about the accessibility of our offices and buildings.  We also created detailed guidance for staff about disability issues and created a poster for reception areas regarding the type of reasonable adjustments available to people visiting our offices. 

We hope these initiatives will also encourage people with disabilities to consider us as a future employer.  We also provide training for our employees to increase their knowledge of the issues affecting people with disabilities.  The training aims not only to improve the experience of our customers but also improve understanding of the needs of our employees to ensure they are effectively supported in the workplace and have an equal opportunity to progress. 

We relaunched our Workplace Adjustments Passport in July 2022 to support our employees as they move to new roles and responsibilities.  The passport captures all workplace adjustments for those who need them, whether to support their mental or physical health, disability, or wellbeing.  It also encourages dialogue with line managers so they can better understand their employees’ needs.

Sexual orientation

The 2022 census established that 87.8% of people aged 16 and over identified as identified as heterosexual/straight, 4% identified as LGB+ and 0.44% of respondents identified as trans.  8.2% did not answer the sexual orientation question.

Of those respondents who identified as LGB+, 43.6% identified as bisexual and 45.2% as non-binary.  Of those respondents who identified as trans, 16.5% identified as a trans man and 15.4% as a trans woman.

COPFS data from 31 March 2025 shows 84.3% of our employees identifying as heterosexual/straight and 6.2% identifying as LGB+.  This leaves 9.5% of our employees whose sexual orientation is unknown, of whom 5.5% preferred not to disclose. 

While our data demonstrates that our workforce more than reflects the proportion of LGBT+ citizens in Scottish society who are willing to disclose, we aspire to be an inclusive organisation where all of our employees feel comfortable about disclosing their identity. 

We continue to support our LGBT+ staff network Proud in COPFS and our team of LGBT+ staff ambassadors.  We also have an allies programme Friends of Proud in COPFS with members wearing customized lanyards or displaying badges at their work desk. 

In addition, COPFS hosted information stalls at a number of Pride events across Scotland during 2023 and 2024.  Our staff network also held bisexual awareness raising sessions. 

Ethnic origin

The 2022 Scottish census reported that 12.9% of the population declared an ethnic background.  3.86% identified as Asian [Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese, other Asian), 1.2% as Black.  Polish was the biggest single ethnic population, at 1.67%

Our data from 31 March 2025 discloses that 90.6% of our workforce identifies as White with 4.4% identifying from an ethnic minority and 1.5% as “Other”.  This leaves 3.5% who have not disclosed their ethnic origin.

We continue to liaise regularly with ethnic minority communities across Scotland to consider a career with COPFS and currently have six race ambassadors focused on this work.

Our Inclusion in COPFS network was launched in 2019.  The network has been engaged in a host of activities both internally and externally to raise awareness of issues associated to race.  The network has a communication strategy in place to engage employees in its activities and events and has exploited the use of Teams to host events and discussions in-house.

In September 2024, we were able to offer some job-shadowing opportunities to attendees at a SEMLA event (Scottish Ethnic Minorities Lawyers Association).

Belief or faith

In 2022 51.1% of the population had no religion, up from 36.7% in 2011.  The increase in people with no religion coincided with a decrease in people who said they belong to the Church of Scotland.  In 2022, 38.8% declared themselves to be Christian.  This is sub-divided into 20.4% as ‘Church of Scotland’, down from 32.4% in 2011; 13.3% as Roman Catholic and 5.1% as other Christian denominations.  2.2% described themselves as Muslim.

Our data from our 2025 staff survey discloses that 35.6% of our workforce identifies as Christian with 19.0% identifying as Church of Scotland and 16.5% as Roman Catholic. 1.6% of our workforce identifies as Muslim and 2.7% identify as being either Atheist or Agnostic.  38.2% declared that they did not follow any faith or belief system and 8.3% chose not to declare any belief or religion.

New data from 2025 discloses that 33.8% of our workforce identifies as Christian with 17.1% identifying as Protestant and 16.2% as Roman Catholic.  Also in 2025, 7.9% of our workforce identified as Agnostic or Atheist. 0.4% declared as Humanist and 1.7% identified as Muslim.  In addition to this, 3.2% of staff declared their religion or belief to be Other.  A total of 40.8% employees stated they had no religion or belief whilst 12.3% chose not to declare any belief or religion.

In 2018, COPFS started a faith group called Believe in COPFS and they have posted a number of articles for staff raising awareness of different religious beliefs.  Our ambassadors have produced articles around religious events internally and have worked in partnership with our LGBT network and Race network.  The staff network is supported by ambassadors for Religion and Belief along with four further ambassadors representing the Muslim and Jewish communities.  The ambassadors are responsible for liaising with groups representing these communities, for building connections with other faith groups and also for raising awareness of these faiths to all employees. 

Age

Our data from 31 March 2025 discloses that 49.2% of our workforce is aged between 30 and 49 years with 8.9% aged 60+.  There is however a broad spread of ages working for COPFS.  This reflects the Scottish working pattern of more people continuing to work well into their 60s and that Scotland ‘s population is an ageing one.  COPFS recognises that people at every age have something to offer as an employee and this workforce will assist us to better represent our communities.

We have developed a number of initiatives to encourage young people to consider a career with COPFS including giving presentations at schools and colleges, work placements, attendance at school career fairs and at university recruitment events.  We also currently operate a modern apprentice programme that was open to all age groups and offered the opportunity of permanent employment with COPFS at its conclusion. 

We are supported by an Age Ambassador who is committed to addressing age related issues within the workplace.  We offer all our employees a pre-retirement course to support them in making the right decision on this important issue.  A partial retirement work pattern is also available to employees.  We continue to encourage employees at all ages to seek development and promotion within the organisation.

We continue to aspire to ensure that our workforce reflects all of the society in which we live.  This is a long-term strategic aim and while we have made some progress over the last 10 years, we will continue to take positive action to ensure that we attract applicants from across all our diverse communities in Scotland and that we will thereafter support them and our existing employees to have equal opportunities to progress and develop within COPFS.

Annex B provides a more detailed statistical analysis of the representation of employees within COPFS under each of the protected characteristic headings and the implications for planning. 

Our Leadership and Organisational Structure

COPFS is organised into five distinct functions.  Each function specialises in a specific part of our work: High Court, Specialist Casework, Litigation and Public Inquiries, Local Court and Operational Support.

Our leaders

Law Officers

Together, the Lord Advocate and Solicitor General are known as the Law Officers.

The Law Officers set the strategic priorities for COPFS, set prosecutorial priorities and approve the Strategic Plan and Objectives for COPFS.

Lord Advocate

The Lord Advocate is the ministerial head of COPFS, leading the system of criminal prosecutions and the investigation of deaths.  All prosecutions on indictment run in the Lord Advocate’s name.  The Lord Advocate also has several statutory functions, including in relation to extradition and mutual legal assistance with other jurisdictions.

The Lord Advocate is a Minister of the Scottish Government, but decisions by the Lord Advocate about criminal prosecutions and the investigation of deaths are taken independently of any other person.

The Lord Advocate is appointed by the Monarch on the recommendation of the First Minister, with the agreement of the Scottish Parliament.

The current Lord Advocate is Dorothy Bain KC who was appointed in June 2021.

Solicitor General

The Solicitor General is the Lord Advocate’s deputy.  They assist the Lord Advocate to carry out their functions.  They are also a Minister of the Scottish Government.

The Solicitor General is appointed by the Monarch on the recommendation of the First Minister, with the agreement of the Scottish Parliament.

The current Solicitor General is Ruth Charteris KC, who was appointed in June 2021.

Crown Agent

The Crown Agent is the principal legal advisor to the Lord Advocate on prosecution matters and the Chief Executive of COPFS.

The Crown Agent is accountable to the Law Officers for the delivery of efficient and effective prosecution of crime and investigation of deaths, in accordance with their priorities and prosecutorial polices.  The Crown Agent is the Accountable Officer for COPFS and, as such, answerable to the Scottish Parliament for the regularity and propriety of COPFS’ finance and the stewardship of public monies.

The current Crown Agent is John Logue who has held this role since September 2022.  Mr. Logue has been a prosecutor in Scotland for 28 years, having started as a trainee solicitor with COPFS in 1994.

Governance

Executive board

The Executive Board provides strategic leadership to COPFS and is collectively responsible for delivering COPFS’s vision, aim and objectives.

The Executive Board’s role is the provision of advice, challenge, support and assurance to the Crown Agent. The board focuses on a range of areas including:

• performance and outcomes
• people and capability
• finance and risk
• organisational efficiency
• corporate wellbeing

The Board is chaired by the Crown Agent and includes senior members of staff and non-executive directors.

Reporting to the board are committees focusing on audit and risk, resource management, business improvement and operational performance.

Our functions

• High Court
• Specialist Casework
• Litigation and Public Inquiries
• Local Court
• Operational Support

High Court

The High Court function investigates and prosecutes the most serious crimes committed in Scotland. These include murder, sexual offences, major crime, road traffic fatalities and cold cases.

Specialist Casework

Teams in Specialist Casework investigate and prosecute cases that need specialist knowledge or experience.  Examples include environmental crime, serious and organised crime, international co-operation, health and safety, the investigation of sudden or unexplained deaths, and appeals.

Litigation and Public Inquiries

Leading on our response to civil litigation and ongoing public inquiries in Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Local Court

The Local Court function handles cases that are prosecuted in Justice of the Peace and Sheriff Courts.

Local Court teams work in offices across Scotland.  Offices are grouped into six Sheriffdoms:

• Glasgow and Strathkelvin
• Grampian, Highlands and Islands
• Lothian and Borders
• North Strathclyde
• South Strathclyde, Dumfries and Galloway
• Tayside, Central and Fife

A specialist team within Local Court, known as our National Initial Case Processing (NICP), makes initial decisions on all summary crimes reported to COPFS.

Operational Support

Teams in Operational Support complete essential business tasks. Support work is divided into two areas:  

·       Policy and Engagement includes Media Relations, Policy and our Enquiry Point.

·       The Business Services teams include Finance and Procurement, HR, L&D and IT specialities.

Corporate Structure

You can view our detailed corporate structure online (correct as of March 2025)

Annex B HR data and analysis