Sheriff Principal Pyle

Tuesday’s hearing will enable parties in the case to appear before Sheriff Principal Derek Pyle in a virtual courtroom.

Video links have been used in sheriff courts since the start of the coronavirus outbreak to conduct custody proceedings with the accused appearing from police cells. This will be the first virtual sheriff court, hearing arguments by the parties hosted on the courts’ new video platform.

Virtual courts were successfully introduced in the Inner House of the Court of Session at the end of April and will shortly be extended to the Outer House, replacing the current telephone hearings.

Sheriff Principal Pyle said: “In these unprecedented times, it is remarkable how quickly the courts, judiciary and legal profession have grasped the nettle of technology to find solutions. There is still a long way to go, but the hearing this week is another step along a road which, over the coming months should revolutionise the way in which sheriff court civil proceedings are conducted.”