COPFS statistics on case processing in the last 5 years (2019-2024)

First published

28 May 2024

Last updated

28 May 2024

Reports received

Reports received1

Statistics on Case Processing: Last 5 years 2019 - 2020 2020 - 2021 2021 - 2022 2022 - 2023

2023 - 2024

Criminal reports 169,894 159,184 148,925 144,957

148,998

Death reports 10,921 15,739 15,377 14,147

13,218

Total reports received 180,815 174,923 164,302 159,104

162,216

Non-court disposals

Non-court disposals2

Statistics on Case Processing: Last 5 years 2019 - 2020 2020 - 2021 2021 - 2022 2022 - 2023 2023 - 2024
No Action 15,999 15,897 13,982 13,042

13,803

Warning letters 5,261 6,583 5,203 3,249

2,531

Conditional Offers of Fixed
Penalties Paid
7,837 10,384 12,180 10,942

12,449

Fiscal fines paid/accepted 17,705 12,399 11,510 10,476

9,177

Compensation Orders Accepted 595 925 594 680

812

Combined Fiscal Fines/Compensation Orders Accepted 3,840 2,051 3,189 4,177

4,876

Other Non-court disposals 11,747 13,960 14,066 14,031

13,037

Total Non-court disposals3 62,984 62,199 60,724 56,597

56,685

No Further Action

Statistics on Case Processing: Last 5 years 2019 - 2020 2020 - 2021 2021 - 2022 2022 - 2023 2023 - 2024
Total No Further Action4 17,734 16,437 23,581 24,585

28,462

Information notes

(1) COPFS receives reports about crimes from the police and other reporting agencies and then decides what action to take, including whether to prosecute someone.  We also look into deaths that need further explanation.

(2) Information on court disposals is available from the Management Information Analysis Team at the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS).

(3) There is a time lag between receipt of a case and final disposal so that, for example, some cases received in 2022-2023 will not result in a disposal until 2023-2024.

(4) No Further Action = Cases which were closed after action had been commenced or attempted (e.g. cases which were closed because the accused died, the accused could not be traced, a key witness was not available, etc.)

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