Absences soar in Crown Office as resources become stretched

The number of sick days taken by Crown Office staff has soared by 20 per cent over the past six years, new figures show.

Research by the Scottish Conservatives has revealed more than 16,000 absences were clocked in the organisation in 2015/16, compared to around 13,000 in 2010/11.

That means the average Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) worker is taking more than 10 days off every year, much higher than the comparative figure across the civil service at 7.2 days.

The figures, obtained via a freedom of information request, add further weight to calls for COPFS to receive more support as the volume and complexity of criminal cases increases.

Stakeholders have pointed out that the creation of new offences, as well as the focus on areas such as serious organised crime, domestic abuse and vulnerable witnesses – while very welcome – have put additional pressure on fiscals.

And the Procurators Fiscal Society has said it knows anecdotally from its members, as well as data collected by COPFS HR, that a “high proportion of those absences relate to work issues”.

As reports of the demands on Crown Office workers continue to emerge and the Scottish government makes more legislative changes affecting the service, the Scottish Conservatives have called for the Crown Office to be adequately resourced.

The Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee, convened by Margaret Mitchell MSP, is currently holding an inquiry into the role and purpose of the Crown Office, including resourcing.

Scottish Conservative community safety spokesman Oliver Mundell said: “These figures send a worrying signal that some fiscals are at breaking point – and while not all of these absences will be directly work-related, many of them are.

“The Scottish government continues to make legislative changes without giving sufficient thought to the service and people that will need to implement them.

“We also know that more and more people are coming forward to report sexual and domestic abuse.

“These are often highly complex cases requiring days of preparation - it’s therefore vital there are adequate resources in place to ensure victims aren’t let down.”

“No one doubts the dedication and professionalism of fiscals, but they’re working with less and expected to achieve more.

He added: “That will have an impact on the justice system as a whole and the service the public rightly expects.

“Instead of pretending everything’s OK, the Scottish government needs to address this situation and address it now.”