Scotland
Scotland has its own courts: the High Court of Justiciary, sheriff courts (summary and jury) and Justice of the Peace courts. Figures below come from the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) and the Scottish Government.
8,281
Sheriff summary trials waiting (scheduled), end of August 2026
-57.1% vs August 2024 (19,310)
35 weeks
Average time from pleading diet to evidence-led trial, sheriff summary, 2025/26
2024/25: 30 weeks
63,486
People convicted in Scottish courts, 2023-24 (latest published)
Down 7% from 67,966 in 2022-23 · conviction rate 87% · 16% of convicted people given a custodial sentence
Average weeks from first/pleading diet to evidence-led trial
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| Court | 2024/25 | 2025/26 |
|---|---|---|
| High Court of Justiciary | 42 | 50 |
| Sheriff solemn (jury) | 30 | 18 |
| Sheriff summary | 30 | 35 |
| Justice of the Peace court | 24 | 23 |
Source: SCTS Courts and Tribunals Data Scotland: Criminal, August 2026 (published 17 Sep 2026) · Financial-year view, sheets 2, 3, 4a and 5. Only cases where an evidence-led trial took place
High Court of Justiciary
1,393
High Court indictments registered, 2025/26 (2024/25: 1,105, +26.1%)
Source: SCTS Courts and Tribunals Data Scotland: Criminal, August 2026 (published 17 Sep 2026) · High Court figures are published for Scotland as a whole only
Cases registered and concluded (financial years)
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| Measure | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheriff summary: complaints registered | 61,606 | 57,316 | -7.0% |
| Sheriff summary: cases concluded | 66,950 | 58,555 | -12.5% |
| Sheriff summary: evidence-led trials | 6,173 | 5,439 | -11.9% |
| Sheriff solemn (jury): indictments registered | 7,164 | 7,062 | -1.4% |
| Sheriff solemn (jury): indictments concluded | 7,556 | 6,797 | -10.0% |
| Justice of the Peace (JP) court, not the sheriff court: complaints registered | 22,503 | 20,661 | -8.2% |
| Justice of the Peace (JP) court, not the sheriff court: cases concluded | 23,314 | 20,107 | -13.8% |
Source: SCTS Courts and Tribunals Data Scotland: Criminal, August 2026 (published 17 Sep 2026) · Financial year = April to March. JP court rows are the separate Justice of the Peace court that sits in the same town; they are lay-magistrate cases and are not included in the sheriff figures
Trials waiting (scheduled, not yet called)
| Measure | End Aug 2024 | End Aug 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheriff summary trials scheduled | 19,310 | 8,281 | -57.1% |
| Sheriff solemn trials scheduled | 1,368 | 1,101 | -19.5% |
Source: SCTS Courts and Tribunals Data Scotland: Criminal, August 2026 (published 17 Sep 2026) · “Trials scheduled” = cases with a trial date assigned that have not yet called in court (SCTS glossary)
New: recorded crime and clear-up rates for all 32 Scottish councils →
Sheriffdoms
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| Sheriffdom | Summary trials waiting Aug 2024 | Aug 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glasgow And Strathkelvin Sheriffdom | 4,125 | 2,155 | -47.8% |
| Grampian, Highland And Islands Sheriffdom | 2,360 | 974 | -58.7% |
| Lothian And Borders Sheriffdom | 4,874 | 1,390 | -71.5% |
| North Strathclyde Sheriffdom | 2,993 | 1,193 | -60.1% |
| South Strathclyde, Dumfries And Galloway Sheriffdom | 2,426 | 1,216 | -49.9% |
| Tayside, Central And Fife Sheriffdom | 2,532 | 1,353 | -46.6% |
Not published
- Convictions and sentences by individual court or sheriffdom: published for Scotland as a whole and by court type only (Criminal Proceedings in Scotland).
- Criminal Proceedings in Scotland 2024-25 had not been published when this page was built; 2023-24 is the latest.
- Individual cases or names: never shown.