Minutes of the Strategic Board: 25 June 2025

Present:

John Logue (Chair)            Crown Agent and Chief Executive

Lindsey Miller                    Deputy Crown Agent, Operational Support Stephen McGowan         Deputy Crown Agent, Litigation

Andrew Laing                    Deputy Crown Agent, Local Court

Jim Brisbane                     Director of Strategy

Keith Dargie                      Head of Business Services

Marlene Anderson             Director of Finance and Procurement Sarah Carter Director of Human Resources

David Watt                        Non-executive Director

John Burns                       Non-executive Director Annie Gunnar-Logan Non-executive Director Helena Kiely    Non-executive Director

Alison Saunders                Non-executive Director

In attendance:

Andrew Richardson           Head of High Court Unit (deputising for Ruth McQuaid) Katie Stewart     Head of ICU and CAAPD (deputising for Kenny Donnelly) Frances Ross     Head of Corporate Governance

Jonathan Shebioba            Director of Support Services Mairi Boyle          Secretariat

Apologies:

Kenny Donnelly                 Deputy Crown Agent, Specialist Casework Ruth McQuaid   Deputy Crown Agent, Local Court

Keith Dargie                      Head of Business Services

Present:

Alison Saunders           Non-executive Director (Chair)

John Logue                  Crown Agent and Chief Executive

Lindsey Miller               Deputy Crown Agent, Operational Support

Stephen McGowan       Deputy Crown Agent, Litigation

Jim Brisbane                Director of Strategy

David Watt                   Non-executive Director

John Burns                  Non-executive Director

Annie Gunner Logan    Non-executive Director

Helena Kiely                Non-executive Director

In attendance:

Matthew Beattie           Corporate Governance Manager (Secretariat)

Frances Ross               Head of Corporate Governance and Business Planning

Sarah Carter                Director of Human Resources

Apologies:

None

The Chair welcomed everyone to the inaugural meeting of the new Strategic

Board and noted that no apologies had been received. The Chair expressed appreciation for the quality of the papers and thanked those involved for their efforts in creating them.

The Board approved the minutes of the final Executive Board meeting held on 28 May 2025 and they can be published.

The Board noted the summary of outstanding actions from the Executive Board, as outlined in paper SB0625(2.2). The Board agreed to transfer all outstanding actions to the new Leadership Board, which will take them forward. The Leadership Board will provide a future update to confirm completion of the transferred actions within expected timescales.

The Board noted the Crown Agent’s update (SB0625(3.1)) and the June 2025 Performance Report (SB0625(3.2)).

The Crown Agent provided an update on the following key points:

Senior Structure

The Crown Agent confirmed two appointments had been made to the post of Legal Director/Deputy Crown Agent following a recruitment exercise. These appointments will provide stability to the senior leadership team over the summer. The Board discussed plans to transition to a new organisational structure later in the year, following the arrival of the new Chief Operating Officer. Support arrangements for new appointees are being explored. The Crown Agent had asked the Director of HR to consider more formal measures to support individuals appointed at that level.

Sexual Offences Review

The Crown Agent advised that COPFS received Susanne Tanner’s Review at the end of April 2025. The review was established to consider how COPFS could improve the investigation and prosecution of sexual offences. A short life working group, led by a Senior Civil Servant, has been established. This group will provide initial advice in early July to the Law Officers on whether recommendations for COPFS should be accepted and advice on implementation, resourcing, prioritisation and timescales. The Board will be provided with a written summary of the advice submitted to the Lord Advocate.

Report on Quality of High Court Case Preparation

The Crown Agent advised that an internal review into the quality of High Court case preparation concluded in June. This review, commissioned in October 2024, aimed to examine High Court casework with a view to identifying best practice, any key risk areas and where appropriate, make recommendations for changes or improvements that may help to achieve our strategic aims and benefit our staff. The report was welcomed as a strategic and focused piece of work that complements current reform efforts. It will inform performance, learning and assurance strategies. A summary of its recommendations will be shared with the Board in due course.

Solemn Time limits

The Crown Agent confirmed that the Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Act 2022 (Saving Provisions) Regulations 2025 were laid in Parliament on 1 April 2025 and became law on 26 May 2025. These Regulations allow the amended pandemic solemn time limits to continue to apply to petitions calling in court before the end of 30 November 2025. This will allow COPFS to reprofile High Court and Sheriff and Jury casework in line with the confirmed legislative timeframes.

Stakeholder Engagement

The Crown Agent provided an update on stakeholder relationships, covering Police Scotland, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, the judiciary, the wider legal profession, and the Scottish Government.

Performance

The Board reviewed the performance reports and provided feedback on the formatting, which the Governance team will take forward for the next Board meeting.

The Board recognised the value of the new performance framework and the discussions it prompted and encouraged continued work to improve clarity, prioritise key indicators, and align performance reporting with strategic outcomes. The new Leadership Board will play a key role in scrutinising performance figures and defining assurance plans for underperforming areas.

Action: The Governance team will advise the Board on our risk management approach at the December 2025 meeting of the Strategic Board.

Fatal Accident Inquiry Review

The Crown Agent informed the Board that the Scottish Government had commissioned a review of the Fatal Accident Inquiry process, in response to high profile cases involving deaths in custody. COPFS is not directly represented but will be consulted.

The Head of Corporate Governance introduced paper SB0625(4.1) and invited the Board’s feedback. The Board reviewed and supported the draft terms of reference, proposing several clarifications. The Governance team will revise and reissue the document for approval.

The Director of Strategy set out paper SB0625(5.1) and initiated a wide-ranging discussion on the future of strategic planning.

The Board acknowledged that the current strategy may no longer fully reflect the scale of organisational transformation underway and expressed strong support for developing a revised strategy ahead of the next financial year. The Board agreed that a refreshed plan would ensure alignment with internal change initiatives, enable clearer prioritisation, and strengthen engagement with stakeholders and future Law Officers. The Board confirmed that COPFS would now begin preparing a new strategic plan for 2030 from April 2026. 

The Director of HR joined the meeting to provide an update on the People Directorate, which was formed in September 2024 to bring together the HR and Learning & Development functions.

The Directorate’s work is structured around eight core priorities set out in the People Strategy published last year, aimed at improving staff experience, learning culture, performance management, and organisational resilience.

Progress was noted in embedding a trauma-informed learning approach, improving access to mandatory training, and launching a leadership and management programme grounded in coaching. The Crown Agent appointed a learning champion to support delivery, and new systems now enable better tracking of training compliance, with clearer expectations for managers. However, compliance with mandatory training remains variable. The Board discussed the importance of equipping new managers with the tools and confidence to lead effectively.

Workforce planning remains a challenge, with ongoing efforts to improve internal mobility, succession planning, and the alignment of roles to organisational needs,

Sickness absence, particularly related to mental health, continues to be monitored. A dedicated Maximising Attendance team is supporting managers in addressing attendance issues, with links noted between wellbeing, performance, and organisational culture.

Under Any Other Business, the Crown Agent updated the Board on recent developments in the Sheku Bayoh Inquiry.