Prosecutors told to penny pinch (oh and jail criminals)
PROSECUTORS have been told taking criminals to court is no longer their sole priority – as they are ordered to implement massive budget cuts.
A secret document shows bosses at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) are instructing lawyers to ‘think creatively’ about how to save money – in addition to their ‘day job’.
The internal memo underlines the scale of major financial constraints which could lead to the loss of 200 jobs.
It warns that ‘the underlying culture and mindset of the organisation needs to be that we will not receive any more money’ – and stresses the need for fiscals to help save cash.
The disclosure comes after a report by the Scottish parliament’s justice committee last week revealed that prosecutors were having to abandon key trials amid a drop in funding and manpower.
Last night, Scottish Conservative community justice spokesman Oliver Mundell said: ‘It is extremely worrying that prosecutors may soon have to take their eye off bringing criminals to book and instead focus on money-saving.
‘We all want to see an efficient Crown Office, but they have been cut to the bone by the SNP. This latest revelation will only make things worse.’
Mr Mundell added: ‘We need these people to be delivering justice, not hunting around for the latest cash saving.’
A Crown Office paper obtained by the Scottish Daily Mail said cost-cutting ‘cannot be seen as a minority, marginal activity, driven by the centre: every member of staff needs to be empowered and encouraged to think creatively about how to save money… as well as doing their day job’.
During its investigation of the Crown’s performance, the justice committee found victims are losing out as trials of drug suspects and violent thugs are abandoned.
MSPs concluded that the Crown Office was ‘just about managing’ but called for major improvements to speed up the legal process.
The Crown Office budget has fallen from a peak of £118.3million in 2009-10 to £111million. The number of prosecutors fell from 558 in 2009-10 to 533 in December last year.
Allan Sampson, national officer for Scotland with the FDA union, which represents fiscals, said: ‘Our staff are working longer hours and at weekends and that cannot go on indefinitely.
‘It’s not the role of a trade union to dictate budgets, but resources have to be matched to priorities – either the COPFS is adequately resourced or decisions have to be taken to review those priorities.’
In February, it emerged 200 Crown Office jobs could be lost under plans to save £1.4million.
The proposal to slash more than a tenth of the 1,742 workforce came only weeks after Justice Secretary Michael Matheson had said he was ‘not expecting’ a reduction in staff.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We expect all public bodies to continue to provide high quality public services while maximising efficiency.
‘The budget allocation for 2017-18 will allow the Crown Office to continue to prosecute crime effectively and to fulfil its other public responsibilities.’
A Crown Office spokesman said: ‘As with any forwardthinking, responsible body funded by public money, it is right and proper that all our staff are encouraged to improve and work more efficiently to deliver justice to the people of Scotland.’
‘Extremely worrying’