Publication scheme
Overview
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) makes available a range of material through our Publication Scheme.
Our publications are available on the following pages of our website:
- Publications
- Prosecution guidance
- Reporting deaths
- Reports and statistics
- Translations
You can also use the search engine on our website. If you have difficulty in finding information, please contact our Enquiry Point.
The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) requires Scottish public authorities to produce and maintain a publication scheme. Authorities are under a legal obligation to:
- publish the classes of information that they make routinely available
- tell the public how to access the information and what it might cost.
We have adopted the Model Publication Scheme produced by the Scottish Information Commissioner. The information we release in accordance with the publication scheme represents the minimum we must disclose.
Purpose of the publication scheme
The purpose of this guide to information is to:
- allow you to see what information is available (and what is not available) in relation to each class
- state what charges may be applied
- explain how you can find the information easily
- provide contact details for enquiries and to get help with accessing the information
- explain how to request information we hold that has not been published
Availability and formats
The information we publish through the scheme is, wherever possible, available on our website. We offer alternative arrangements for people who do not want to, or cannot, access the information online or by inspection at our premises. For example, we can usually arrange to send information to you in paper copy (although there may be a charge for this).
Exempt information
We will publish the information we hold that falls within the classes of information below. If a document contains information that is exempt under Scotland's freedom of information law (for example sensitive personal information), we may remove or redact the information before publication but we will explain why.
Copyright
Where COPFS holds the copyright in its published information, the information may be copied or reproduced without formal permission, provided that:
- it is copied or reproduced accurately
- it is not used in a misleading context, and
- the source of the material is identified
Where COPFS does not hold the copyright in information we publish, we will make this clear. Find out more about COPFS' copyright policy.
Charges
This section explains when we may make a charge for our publications and how any charge will be calculated. There is no charge to view information on our website or at our premises.
We may charge for providing information to you e.g., photocopying and postage, but we will charge you no more than it actually costs us to do so. We will always tell you what the cost is before providing the information to you.
Our photocopying charge per sheet of paper is shown in the tables below:
Black and white photocopying
| Size of paper | Pence per sheet of paper |
| A4 | 10p |
Colour photocopying
| Size of paper | Pence per sheet of paper |
| A4 | 20p |
Please also note:
- Information provided on a memory stick, flash drive or similar will be charged at the commercial rate for the unit We will always tell you what the cost is before providing the information to you in this format
- Postage costs will be recharged at the rate we paid to send the information to you.
- When providing copies of pre-printed publications, we will charge no more than the cost per copy of the total print run.
- We do not pass on any other costs to you in relation to our published information.
- COPFS does not print any commercial publications (see Class 8)
Classes of information that we publish
We publish information that we hold within the following classes:
- Class 1: About the authority
- Class 2: How we deliver our functions and services
- Class 3: How the authority takes decisions and what it has decided
- Class 4: What the authority spends and how it spends it
- Class 5: How the authority manages its human, physical and information resources
- Class 6: How the authority procures goods and services from external providers
- Class 7: How our authority is performing
- Class 8: Our commercial publications
- Class 9: Our open data
Class 1: About the authority
About the authority provides information about COPFS, who we are, where to find us, how to contact us, how we are managed and our external relations.
General information
Find a local COPFS office | COPFS
Feedback and complaints | COPFS
Our role in investigating deaths | COPFS
Our role in investigating the police | COPFS
Publication scheme
Our leadership and structure | COPFS
Reports and statistics | COPFS
Corporate planning
External relations/working with others
Victim Information and Advice | COPFS
Protocols and Memorandum of Understanding
Scottish Courts (scotcourts.gov.uk)
Keeping others informed
Freedom of Information requests | COPFS
Publications
Class 2: How we deliver our functions and services
How we deliver our functions and services provides information about our work, our strategy and polices for delivering functions and services and information for our service users.
Functions
Our leadership and structure | COPFS
COPFS strategic plans
Equality and Diversity in COPFS
Equality Outcomes 2017-2021 | COPFS
Equality Mainstreaming Report 2019 to 2021 | COPFS
Equality Outcomes Progress Report 2019 | COPFS
Consultation on Equality Outcomes for 2021 to 2025 | COPFS
Equality impact assessment reports
Hate crime in Scotland | COPFS
Prosecution Policy Guidelines
Code of Practice: Disclosure of evidence | COPFS
Disclosure of evidence: Guidance for specialist reporting agencies | COPFS
Sensitive Personal Records Policy | COPFS
Our role in investigating deaths | COPFS
Protocols and Memorandum of Understanding
Requesting information from COPFS
Request information about your case | COPFS
Feedback and complaints | COPFS
Freedom of Information requests | COPFS
Request personal data | COPFS
Class 3: How the authority takes decisions and what it has decided
How the authority takes decisions and what it has decided provides information about the decisions we take, how we make decisions and how we involve others.
Class 4: What the authority spends and how it spends it
What the authority spends and how it spends it provides information about our strategy for and management of financial resources (in sufficient detail to explain how we plan to spend public money and what has actually been spent)
Annual reports and accounts
Annual Report 2022-2023 | COPFS
Annual Report 2021-2022 | COPFS
Annual Report 2020-2021 | COPFS
Annual Report 2019-2020 | COPFS
Annual Report 2018-2019 | COPFS
Annual Report 2017-2018 | COPFS
Budget and expenditure
Annual Procurement Report 2018-2019 | COPFS
Annual Procurement Report 2019-2020 | COPFS
Annual Procurement Report 2020-21 | COPFS
Annual Procurement Report 2020-21 Annex A | COPFS
Sustainable procurement policy statement | COPFS
Procurement Strategy 2021-24 | COPFS
Working with COPFS as a supplier | COPFS
Public Services Reform Act - COPFS 2020 monthly reports
COPFS Corporate strategies
Class 5: How the authority manages its human, physical and information resources
How the authority manages its human, physical and information resources provides information about how we manage the human, physical and information resources of the authority.
Human resources
Equality Outcomes 2021-2025 | COPFS
People Strategy 2024 to 2027 | COPFS
Employee Wellbeing Strategy 2020-2023 | COPFS
Physical resources
Information Resources
Class 6: How the authority procures goods and services from external providers
How the authority procures goods and services from external providers provides information about how we procure goods and services, and our contracts with external providers.
Annual Procurement Report 2018-2019 | COPFS
Annual Procurement Report 2019-2020 | COPFS
Annual Procurement Report 2020-21 | COPFS
Annual Procurement Report 2020-21 Annex A | COPFS
Sustainable procurement policy statement | COPFS
Procurement Strategy 2021-24 | COPFS
Class 7: How our authority is performing
How our authority is performing contains information about how the authority performs as an organisation and how well it delivers its functions and services.
Annual Report 2022-2023 | COPFS
Annual Report 2021-2022 | COPFS
Annual Report 2020-2021 | COPFS
Annual Report 2019-2020 | COPFS
Annual Report 2018-2019 | COPFS
Annual Report 2017-2018 | COPFS
Corporate information
Performance against key targets April 2023 to March 2024 | COPFS
Case processing financial year 2023 to 2024 | COPFS
Case processing statistics 2019 to 2024 | COPFS
Equality Outcomes 2017-2021 | COPFS
Equality Outcomes Progress Report 2019 | COPFS
Equality Mainstreaming Report 2021 to 2023 | COPFS
Consultation on Equality Outcomes for 2021 to 2025 | COPFS
Equality Outcomes 2021-2025 | COPFS
Class 8: Our commercial publications
Our commercial publications contains information packaged and made available for sale on a commercial basis. Please note that we do not hold or publish any information under this class.
No information held under this class
Class 9: Our open data
Our open data contains information about open data made available by COPFS as described by the Scottish Government's Open Data Resource Pack and available under an open licence.
No information held under this class
Open Data resource pack: version 2 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
Where information has been updated or superseded, only the current version will be available. If you would like to see previous versions, you can ask us for that information.
Contact us
You can contact us for assistance with any aspect of this publication scheme or for advice on how to complain if you are dissatisfied with any aspect of this publication scheme:
FOI Manager
Information Governance Unit
Crown Office
25 Chambers Street
Edinburgh
EH1 1LA
Tel: 0300 020 3000
We also welcome calls through Text Relay. Please prefix our telephone number with 18001.
Email: FOI@copfs.gov.uk
We will also be pleased to advise you how to ask for information that we do not publish. You can find more information on Freedom of Information (FOI) requests on our dedicated FOI page.
Thank you for your feedback.