Criminal proceedings in Scotland: 2018-2019

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.


Table 1 Summary of known action in the Scottish Criminal Justice System, 2009-10 to 2018-19

  Thousands
  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19
Crimes and offences recorded by the police  
Crimes 338 323 314 273 270 256 246 239 245 246
Offences1         501 379 339 289 264 248
Crimes and offences cleared up by the police  
Crimes 167 157 155 140 139 129 127 119 121 126
Offences1         472 351 308 254 222 206
Police disposals  
Anti-social behaviour fixed penalty notices 61 54 54 55 56 43 29 15 11 9
Formal adult warnings 8 8 8 8 7 5 3 * * *
Recorded Police Warnings - - - - - - 4 20 17 22
Early & Effective Interventions and Restorative Justice Warnings 3 2 4 5 5 5 7 6 6 5
Children's Panel referrals  
Offence referrals to Reporter to Children's Panel2 21 16 12 8 7 7 7 7 9 8
Procurator Fiscal action  
Total criminal reports received (COPFS cases) 276 266 276 281 294 244 226 196 178 171
Fiscal fines (CHS people)3,4 36 36 42 48 47 36 34 22 23 18
Fiscal fines (COPFS cases)4,5 34 33 41 46 47 35 33 21 22 18
Fiscal fixed penalties (CHS people)3 19 20 21 22 23 15 11 8 7 7
Fiscal fixed penalties (COPFS cases)5 18 20 21 22 24 15 11 8 6 7
Compensation orders (CHS people)3 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Compensation orders (COPFS cases)5 2 2 1 1 1 1 * 1 1 1
Combined fiscal fines/compensation orders (CHS people)3,4 2 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 2 3
Combined fiscal fines/compensation orders (COPFS cases)4,5 2 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 2 3
Fiscal warnings (COPFS cases)4,5 14 13 12 13 8 8 13 8 9 6
No action (COPFS cases)4,5 30 29 32 35 28 27 26 21 21 18
Other non-court disposals6 (COPFS cases) 8 8 8 10 13 13 10 11 10 11
People proceeded against in court 136 131 125 117 122 123 117 107 96 90

1. Since 2013-14, not all offence categories in recorded crime statistics are comparable with previous years data. Please see Annex 2 of the Recorded Crime in Scotland publication for further information.

2. A referral may relate to more than one offence. Figures exclude cases jointly referred to the Children's Reporter and the Procurator Fiscal. These types of cases are

included in the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal (COPFS) action totals.

3. Number of people with main penalty as recorded on the Police Scotland's Criminal History System (CHS).

4. Figures relate to cases which were closed as offer paid/accepted/deemed accepted.

5. Number of cases of highest disposal as recorded on COPFS information system.

6. Includes cases diverted from prosecution by COPFS, e.g. to the Children's Reporter, cases transferred within COPFS and cases rolled up with other ongoing cases.

Contact

Email: peter.malek@gov.scot

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