Criminal proceedings in Scotland 2017-2018

Summary of offences dealt with by courts, sentencing outcomes and characteristics of convicted offenders. Additional information on non-court penalties issued by the Police and Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service.

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Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2017-18

This bulletin forms part of the Scottish Government series of statistical bulletins on the criminal justice system. Statistics are presented on criminal proceedings concluded in Scottish courts and on a range of measures available as alternatives to prosecution, which are issued by the police and by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. Detailed figures for 2017-18 are presented, along with selected trends for the last ten years.

Further detailed tables are published as background statistics on the Scottish Government Crime and Justice Statistics website.

A total of 95,254 people were proceeded against in court in 2017-18, a fall of 11% on 2016-17 (107,362 proceedings). The number of convictions fell at a similar rate, down 10% to 82,716 from 2016-17 (92,347). This continues the general downward trend of the last ten years with the exception of the short term rise in court activity between 2012-13 and 2014-15. Convictions in 2017-18 were around 34% lower than the ten-year high of 125,893 in 2008-09.

Chart 1: Number people proceeded against and those convicted

Chart 1: Number people proceeded against and those convicted Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2017-18

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Email: Ian Volante

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