CATHY Jamieson is really not doing very well in her attempts to improve the administration of the Scottish criminal justice system. Since writing to The Herald last summer, I have recently received my 50th citation in relation to my work as a police surgeon. I have appeared in court only once, and that for all of five minutes.
The procurator-fiscal offices appear over-stretched and under-resourced. Rarely, if ever, does a citation contain details of the date of involvement, although a space exists for this information. This necessitates a telephone call on my part to establish these details, thus wasting both my time and that of the fiscal's office staff.
Rarely, if ever, does a precognition take place, so there is no opportunity to establish non-controversial evidence, such as the taking of a blood sample, which could be agreed by both sides. Unless, of course, I make another phone call to point this out, and to ask whether mutual agreement is possible (as it invariably is), again wasting more of each other's time.
Last month, a colleague was told she could not go abroad on holiday, as she had to give evidence. The case was postponed at the last minute, so not only did she not give evidence, she did not get her holiday. A current case of my own, twice postponed from the High Court in Edinburgh, has now been rescheduled for Forfar. Where exactly is Forfar?
Witnesses have to accept that they have a responsibility to the court. It is high time that the court system accepted that it has a responsibility to witnesses.
John N E Rankin,
9 Park Avenue, Stirling.
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