Concern over Crown Office

Scotland’s top prosecutor has been told MSPS have “fundamental concerns” about funding and resources for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).

Margaret Mitchell, convener of the Scottish Parliament’s justice committee, said junior staff were being used as “court fodder” and the service had faced a decade of real-terms budget cuts. The committee has heard 30 jobs may have to go “to make ends meet”. A recent report on the COPFS warned the system was under “considerable pressure”.