THE ongoing Justice Committee’s examination of Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) is long overdue and credit to its members for daring to attempt to shine a light on the inner workings of a system which over the years has arguably replaced its constitutional right to independence with self-seeking protectionism that would do credit to a secret society.
The Lord President, Lord Carloway, appears to show the same contempt for accountability and openness by refusing to give evidence to the committee and risks having himself and his fellow judges tarred with the same Crown Office brush (“Scotland’s top judge accused after letter over courts probe”, The Herald, November 22).
Many will remember the lead his Lordship took in the ill-advised and ultimately rejected call to remove the need for corroboration and this latest move leaves him open to accusations of arrogance.
The reality is we have a prosecution system in Scotland which is in need of a major overhaul and this is not something that Lord Carloway and his fellow judges can walk away from. They more than most see the often tragic results of a court system in chaos and surely have a duty where possible to add to the debate.
As your article states the court system is seen by many of those working in it as “under-resourced and overwhelmed by their workload” and the Police Federation’s description of courts as “jammed with cases, officers’ time being wasted, and victims of crime being let down” is sadly pertinent and very much to the point.
The independence of the Judiciary and Crown Office is an important safeguard to the power of the state but equally both must be accountable to the people and their representatives and be seen to be truly acting in the public interest rather than their own.
Iain AJ McKie,
27 Donnini Court, South Beach Road, Ayr.
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