Scottish Court Service

The Scottish Court Service is an executive agency of the Scottish Executive responsible for the administration the of the Court system in Scotland. The Service was created in 1995 by the Scottish Office

In common with the Scottish Prison Service in the Scottish justice system this at arm's length approach is adopted to prevent direct ministerial involvement in the administration of justice. It should be noted that Scotland's prosecution service the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is headed by the Lord Advocate is who is a member of the Scottish Executive but not an elected Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP).

The Service is headed by a Chief Executive and a management board who take day to day responsibility for the running of the Service. The management board are accountable to the Minister for Justice and the two Justice Committees of the Scottish Parliament.

The Service employs nearly 1000 staff members in Scotland's 49 Sheriff Courts, the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary, and at the Service's HQ in Edinburgh.

The Service's main responsibility is to support the Scottish Judiciary. The Judiciary consists of the Senators of the College of Justice (incorporating the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary) and several hundred sheriffs and sheriffs principal who are spread throughout the country.

The Court staff will in one day deal with everything from a Murder Trial in the High Court to a Divorce case in the Sheriff Court.

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