Minutes of the Operational Performance Committee – December 2023

Minutes of meeting held on 7 December 2023 by Microsoft Teams

Present:

• Stephen McGowan Deputy Crown Agent – Litigation (Chair) (DCA)
• Andy Shanks Deputy Procurator Fiscal, Specialist Casework (AS)
• Andrew Richardson Procurator Fiscal, High Court (AR)
• Andrew Laing Deputy Head of Local Court (AL)
• Fiona Roberts Head of Management Information Unit (FR)
• Lana Thomas PA DCA – Serious Casework (Secretariat) (LT)

Absent:

• Laura Buchan Procurator Fiscal, Policy and Engagement (LB)
• Graham Kerr Head of Business Management Local Court (GK)

The DCA welcomed everyone to the meeting, apologies were noted for the above.

The minutes of last meeting were agreed and can be published.

Audit Report on response to Pandemic - on going, will remain open and be treated as rolling action.

High Court

High Court paper noted, nothing to raise by exception other than to confirm Objectives now agreed for High Court, will take time to get figures on all these objectives, Fiona Roberts working on this with Yvette Marshall and Doreen Kerr from Central Operations.

Local Court

AL provided update-

Case Marking - 20k unmarked down to 7400k.

Police making good progress on backlog, now towards bottom, currently 3100 cases but should get it down to 1-2 k.

Corporately, performance against target well above 75-77 % and is rising.

Sheriff & Jury- at present, output is greater than input- indictments as good as projections indicated.
Fall in Precognitions in hand.

Recovery- 1700 bail cases in extended period, custody figures 392 over 80 days, looking to see what progress we can make on those. At present 2100 cases relying on COVID provisions.

JP in good place, recovered, lower than it was before.
Summary static.
Summary Case Management Pilot in Glasgow still on track for commencing 28 Jan 2024.

Specialist Casework

AS discussed the Specialist Casework paper and highlighted the following-

Tox backlogs- SPA are largely now complying with the 5 week turnaround of new cases which is positive and reassuring and it is anticipated that their backlog will be cleared by the end of the calendar year as evidenced by the significant increase in post mortem reports being submitted to COPFS on a weekly basis. This correlates to a significantly increased resource required to process the increased number of reports and this is being managed with specific internal processes being utilised and adapted. This will impact on performance against the 12 week target.

CMP age profile deaths decreased by 25% although a number of older ones remain.

New MI system on track for end of Q4 to allow us to formulate new meaningful and realistic KPI’s.

Policy & Engagement

LB absent, though highlighted the below, paper noted.

The LOs met with the Cab Sec for Justice and Cab Sec for Social Justice to discuss the UNCRC Bill.

• Proposed Operational Instruction - Availability of Secure Hospital Beds- AL- Sheriffdom fiscals would like to discuss further- AL awaiting update from Emma Thomson and will chase up.
• Minute In Respect of Recent Appeal Decision in Lind v HMA- The group discussed, content with guidance, can be submitted to the LO’s but require clarification on -
  1. What are we doing in relation to wider warrants?
  2. Do we need to refresh the joint guidance?

No further Business discussed.

Date of Next Meeting: 8 February 2024.