Scottish Budget 2025 to 2026

Chapter 13 Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service

Portfolio Responsibilities

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) is the sole public prosecution authority in Scotland, prosecuting cases independently, fairly, and effectively in the public interest. It is also responsible for investigating sudden, unexplained, and suspicious deaths, as well as allegations of criminal conduct by police officers. This work helps ensure that Scotland remains safe from crime, disorder, and danger.

The Lord Advocate has ministerial responsibility for the work of the service. The Lord Advocate’s position as head of the systems of criminal prosecution and investigation of deaths is enshrined in the Scotland Act 1998 and is exercised independently of any other person.

COPFS is a demand-led organisation with the responsibility to meet state obligations to deliver justice. It operates within a complex and evolving criminal justice system. Funding and resource levels reflect the increasing volume and complexity of the service’s casework. There has been a significant rise in sexual offences casework and death investigations. High-profile work, such as the investigation and prosecution of violence against women and children, sexual crimes, and domestic abuse, will remain predominant in prosecution casework for the foreseeable future. COPFS is carrying out major case investigations, including several high-profile economic crime and death investigations. The number of deaths requiring investigation remains high, including those related to health and safety incidents.

2025-26 will be critical for Scotland’s systems of criminal justice and death investigation. Funding for 2025-26 will support the service in continuing to address the criminal case backlog, investigate Covid-19 deaths, and manage demand-led pressures. Targeted and non-recurring funding will support efforts to comply with legislative timescales and reduce waiting times for justice.

COPFS has made significant strides in improving casework outcomes, enhancing service delivery, and reducing the case backlog caused by the pandemic. It will continue working with justice partners to transform, innovate, and deliver sustainable improvements to public services, ensuring more effective and efficient ways of working. This includes driving organisational change and system-level transformation through the Summary Case Management (SCM) Pilot, which is enhancing the efficiency of summary justice and achieving swifter outcomes for victims, witnesses, and the accused. COPFS is dedicated to placing victims and witnesses at the heart of its efforts to provide a trauma-informed service. Throughout 2025, COPFS will complete the national implementation of new digital Witness Gateway and Defence Agent Service (DAS) online services and work with partners to implement the use of the Digital Evidence Sharing Capability (DESC) across all courts in Scotland to enhance and innovate delivery of public services.

The spending plans for COPFS will ensure a just, safe, and resilient Scotland where genuine equality and opportunity allow everyone to reach their potential and contribute fully to society.

Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service intended contributions to the National Outcomes

Primary National Outcomes

• Communities
• Human Rights

Secondary National Outcomes

• Economy
• Fair Work and Business
• Environment

For further information on the purpose of the portfolio budget, and contributions to national outcomes (including impacts of spend on equality of outcome) please refer to the relevant portfolio annex in the published Equality and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement.

Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service

The prior year 2024-25 Budget comparator figures are based on the latest in-year budget numbers which were revised at the Autumn Budget Revision. The 2023-24 Scottish Budget comparator figures reflect the outturn numbers for that year.