Angela Constance

Justice Secretary Angela Constance confirmed the extension of the pilot to March 2025 in a letter to Holyrood’s Criminal Justice Committee.

As of 4 February, 87 applications have been made. Of these, seven were ineligible for the pilot and one applicant cancelled their application.

Ms Constance writes: “Consistent with the feedback provided in my letter to the Criminal Justice Committee in July 2024, most of the applications have been made in relation to seeking some degree of closure/recovery and in keeping with the emphasis placed on the trauma informed person-centred aspect of the pilot.”

She adds: “Ongoing engagement between officials and SCTS has identified several operational considerations of the pilot which requires further development and evaluation. This includes the potential opportunity to develop and test emerging technology that may assist in producing transcripts and a better understanding of the most efficient and effective operation of servicing applications.

“In recognition of the areas outlined, and the backlog in processing applications, my intention is to extend the pilot for a further 12 months, from 1 March 2025, with a budget of £150k. This will help inform a definitive view on next steps, including continued evaluation of potential demand and what potential legislative changes may be required to underpin a future approach.”