The figures demonstrate the continued recovery of the justice system following the impact of the pandemic. 2022-23 marked a return to more normal court capacities following the court closures and reduced capacities during 2020-21 and 2021-22. 

However, it does reflect the challenges of dealing with the resulting backlog of cases and despite an increase in overall volume of proceedings in 2022-23 these remained below 2019-20 levels.

In 2022-23 a total of 79,173 people were proceeded against in court, an increase of 17 per cent from 2021-22 (67,698 people). Of these, 68,067 people were convicted of at least one of the charges against them. This was an increase of 15 per cent from 2021-22 (59,343 people).

Increases were seen across almost all crime and offence groups. Convictions for non-sexual crimes of violence rose 23 per cent and sexual crimes increased by 10 per cent.

The number of convictions for rape and attempted rape increased by 17 per cent from 160 in 2021-22 to 187 in 2022-23. Convictions for crimes under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 rose by 11 per cent, from 690 in 2021-22 to 763 in 2022-23.

The number of people convicted of a crime with a statutory domestic abuse aggravation increased by four from 2021-22, to 7,805 convictions.

The total number of convictions rose by 15 per cent, and those resulting in a custodial sentence increased by nine per cent (from 8,186 in 2021-22 to 8,923 in 2022-23). Custodial sentences represented 13 per cent of sentences imposed for all convictions in 2022-23.

The average length of custodial sentence for all crimes, excluding life sentences, in 2022-23 was 386 days, which was three per cent longer than in 2021-22 (375 days).

In 2022-23, 24 per cent (16,246) of people convicted were given a community sentence. This was a 15 per cent increase from 2021-22 (14,139). In 2022-23, 26,562 bail orders were made. This was an increase of 11 per cent from 2021-22 (23,901).

There are a number of measures available to the police and Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) for dealing with minor offences directly.

The total number of police disposals remained steady from 31,271 in 2021-22 to 31,278 in 2022-23. Recorded police warnings made up 68 per cent (21,127) of all police disposals this year and most were issued for drugs offences, threatening and abusive behaviour, and common assault.

The number of COPFS disposals decreased by five per cent between 2021-22 and 2022-23 to 30,770. This was driven by a 30 per cent decrease in the number of fiscal warnings to 3,508, and over the same period fiscal fixed penalties decreased by six per cent (to 11,364) and fiscal combined fines and compensation increased by 47 per cent (to 4,170).