Malcolm Graham, chief executive of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS), told MSPs that not raising funding in 2025-26 would be the same as removing 10 courts dealing with serious cases in the system.

SCTS is to spend “around £213m” on running costs for 2024-25.

A submission to MSPs on Holyrood’s Criminal Justice Committee stated: “Our projections indicate that an uplift of £20.8 million in baseline revenue funding will be required in 2025-26.

“This is to avoid any deterioration in service and to maintain progress on planned reforms.”

If the Scottish government imposes a “flat cash settlement”, it “would result in the need to reduce court and tribunal business programmes, and to postpone more or less all the changes we had planned to improve services over the coming year”.

Mr Graham added: “To give an indication on the impact of the courts, absorbing these pressures would be the equivalent to removing 10 solemn trial courts – say four high courts and six sheriff and jury courts – with effect from April 2025.”

He added: “Our modelling indicates that victims, witnesses and the accused in the most serious cases could be waiting for more than three years to come to court for a trial.

“This would be completely at odds with the commitment across the justice sector to reduce traumatisation for victims and witnesses of crime.”

A Scottish government spokesperson said: “We have a strong track record on court investment. Despite deeply challenging financial circumstances, we increased funding for the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service this year by over £14m to £165.9m.

“We will continue to work with the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service to understand their future budget requirements ahead of the next Scottish Budget.”