Criminal Proceedings in Scotland 2015-16

Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2015-16

This bulletin forms part of the Scottish Government series of statistical bulletins on the criminal justice system. Statistics are presented on criminal proceedings concluded in Scottish courts and on a range of measures available as alternatives to prosecution, which are issued by the police and by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. Detailed figures for 2015-16 are presented, along with selected trends for the last ten years.

Further detailed tables are published as background statistics on the Scottish Government Crime and Justice Statistics website.

A total of 116,800 people were proceeded against in court in 2015-16, a fall of five per cent on 2014-15 (123,369 proceedings). The number of convictions fell at a slightly faster rate to 99,950 convictions, down six per cent on 2014-15 (106,622). This continues the general downward trend of the last ten years and contrasts the short term rise in court activity between 2012-13 and 2014-15. Convictions in 2015-16 were around 26 per cent lower than the peak of 134,416 in 2006-07.

Chart 1: Number people proceeded against and those convicted