Criminal bar chief calls £4m Crown Office budget cut ‘absolutely astonishing’

The president of the Scottish Criminal Bar Association (SCBA) has called the £4 million cut in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) budget by the Scottish government “absolutely astonishing”.

Thomas Ross’ sentiments were shared in Holyrood by Conservative justice spokesman Douglas Ross, who said the government is damaging an already under-resourced service.

The news comes as Scotland’s prosecution service is being scrutinised by Holyrood’s Justice Committee – which has so far heard of controversies surrounding an over-zealous domestic abuse policy and an absence of communication between management and fiscals.

In 2017-18 the service will receive £109.5m, down from £113.5m this year.

Speaking to Scottish Legal News, Thomas Ross, president of the Scottish Criminal Bar Association, said: “The legal and support staff in the COPFS are the hardest working people in the Scottish criminal justice system, so the problems that we encounter on a daily basis can only be rationally explained by a lack of resources. It seems absolutely astonishing the the Scottish government should cut the budget, when every informed observer is calling for it to do the exact opposite.

“It is one thing issuing sound-bites about supporting victims, it is another to organise budgets so that the COPFS has a adequately resourced opportunity to prosecute perpetrators.”

In the Parliament, Douglas Ross told MSPs: “Witness after witness have said that this service is not sufficiently resourced, yet he has cut its budget by £4m.”

As SNP MSPs began to protest, Mr Ross instructed them to “shush!” as he continued his attack on Finance Secretary Derek Mackay, saying: “The COPFS is a key pillar of our criminal justice system.

“Why, then, have the SNP government cut its budget in spite of key evidence of witnesses to this inquiry?”

Mr Mackay retorted: “I have engaged with the justice system in Scotland and I am satisfied the budget position that I have outlined will continue to support the service to continue in a sustainable and satisfactory way, so I do believe it is a sound settlement for the service.”