Terms of Reference – Citing witnesses in the sheriff court

[1] In the sheriff court, summary proceedings take place before a sheriff only. For more serious cases, solemn proceedings take place before a sheriff and a jury.

[2] IPS, The prosecution of domestic abuse cases at sheriff summary level (2024).

[3] IPS, Responding to enquiries: service delivery through National Enquiry Point (2025).

[4] HMICS, Frontline focus – wellbeing (2024); HMICS, Thematic inspection of road policing in Scotland (2024).

[5] HMICS, Annual Report 2023-24 (2024); HMICS, Thematic inspection of road policing in Scotland (2024), Recommendation 4.

[6] Data supplied by Police Scotland to HMICS.

[7] Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS), Courts Data Scotland: Criminal Edition 26 (2024).

[8] A witness may be re-cited where the trial is rescheduled.

[9] For further information about the summary case management model, see SCTS, The summary case management (SCM) pilot: Final evaluation (2024).

[10] ‘Churn’ refers to cases repeating stages unnecessarily.

[11] IPS, Inspection Framework (2024); HMICS, Inspection Framework (2023).