Criminal court problems a ‘national crisis’

Matthew McGovern

Matthew McGovern, who shed light on his experience at Hamilton Sheriff Court on social media, said on BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland that issues were arising nationwide.

GEOAmey, a firm providing prisoner services, noted that it has seen a rise in service demand.

Recalling a recent incident, Mr McGovern posted on X that Hamilton Sheriff Court only adjourned at 10.20pm.

He told the programme the last suspect was moved by GEOAmey from a local police station to the court at 8.30pm.

Mr McGovern, of Lanarkshire firm McGovern Reid, said: “To put that in context, custody court starts at 12 o’clock.

“That is the extent of the delays we are dealing with just now.”

GEOAmey highlighted the logistical challenge, mentioning that they had over 40 individuals scheduled for transport to a court with only nine cells. Before the pandemic, up to six individuals could be held in one cell. The rules now allow anyone flagged for violent tendencies or mental health concerns, or anyone requesting for risk-related reasons, to have their own cell.

Mr McGovern said: “This is a relatively new policy. Before the pandemic you could have 40 people down the stairs. It has been implemented without any proper thought to any other justice partner and it goes beyond Hamilton Sheriff Court. It is a national problem.”

Mr McGovern also said that, on the busiest court day, Forfar sat until 9pm due to the volume of individuals arrested over weekends. He said: “This is a national problem and it is a national crisis.”

A GEOAmey spokesperson said: “GEOAmey are fully committed to helping clear the backlog of criminal cases in Scotland, and we understand that this has led to an increase in demand for our services.”

A Scottish Prison Service (SPS) spokesperson said: “We are working with our contractor, GEOAmey, to ensure we meet the transport needs of those in our care and the wider justice sector.

“Due to the levels of concern around this contract, and the priority SPS places on securing an improvement in performance, senior leaders are actively engaging with justice partners to identify solutions to the challenges we have seen.”