Digital Evidence Sharing Capability (DESC) allows police officers, prosecutors, defence lawyers, court staff and judges to access a secure, unified system to collect, store, process and manage evidence digitally.

Benefits of the system include fewer victims and witnesses having to attend court, cases coming to court and concluding quicker, and valuable police time being saved.

During a pilot of the programme in Dundee, around 19,500 pieces of evidence were handled through DESC, with almost 550 hours of police officers’ time freed up.

DESC handles evidence including CCTV footage, photographs, and data and other materials from computers and mobile devices. This will be expanded to include documents and recordings of police interviews. The system means members of the public and businesses can submit digital evidence – such as material recorded on mobile phones – more easily by email when sent a link by a police officer. DESC also saves on transport costs and cuts CO2 emissions by reducing the need for physical evidence to be collected in person and stored.

DESC’s expansion across Tayside and Forth Valley marks the start of a phased national roll-out that is expected to be completed by autumn 2025.

Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “This is a world first for Scotland – a truly transformational programme where digital evidence is managed securely from crime scene to court room, benefitting victims, police officers, prosecutors, defence lawyers, court staff and judges.

“During the successful pilot in Dundee, DESC allowed justice system partners to collect, manage and share digital evidence in a streamlined and efficient way, helping to get cases resolved more quickly. It has also freed up a significant amount of time for police officers, creating additional capacity for frontline policing.”

Sheriff Principal Gillian Wade KC said: “DESC facilitates easier sharing of digital evidence which can be crucial for determining the strength of a case at an early stage and allowing for more informed decisions about allegations against an accused person. This dovetails well with other initiatives currently being implemented such as the Summary Case Management pilots. Both have at their core the importance of early disclosure and engagement alongside multi-agency co-operation. This approach leads to fewer unnecessary hearings, fewer witness citations and a reduction in the number of outstanding trials.

“While DESC will initially be utilised for Summary cases only, it is envisaged that its capability will be expanded to include Solemn business at a later stage.”