Journey Times in the Scottish Criminal Justice System 2024-25
This bulletin assesses an accused person’s criminal justice journey time from the date an offence is reported to the police to case conclusion or verdict for the period from 2024 to 2025. This journey time is broken down by justice system stage and type of crime.
10. Journey times for accused prosecuted in courts: main crimes influencing journey times by crime group
[Supplementary Table 12]
To better understand how specific crime types impact journey times within each crime group, the median police known to verdict times and journey times for each stage of the justice process were calculated for each crime type within the main crime groups. These results are presented in Supplementary Table 12 and in the supporting Journey times in the Scottish Criminal Justice System interactive dashboard. Journey times for offences in Antisocial offences, Miscellaneous offences, and Road traffic offences crime groups are also included in the interactive dashboard.
As described in the Data and methodology section, each accused is allocated to a single crime type by prioritising Sexual crimes and then applying the standard methodology used in other JAS publications. For example, the domestic abuse group includes only accused persons with no sexual crime charges for whom domestic abuse is the highest‑ranking non‑sexual charge. Consequently, the times presented do not refer to all accused with a domestic abuse charge, but only to those for whom domestic abuse is the main non‑sexual offence.
For most crime types in the crime groups 1 to 5, median journey times decreased in 2024-25 compared to 2023-24. Journey times remained stable or decreased for all crimes except: Rape & attempted rape, Other sexual crimes, Shoplifting, Fraud, Fire-raising, Vandalism, Crimes against public justice and Other crimes against society which saw an increase in median journey time.
Given that detailed journey times for all crime types are available in the tables and dashboard, the following sections focus primarily on the crime types that are the main drivers of journey times within each crime group. Journey times for other relevant crime types are also highlighted where appropriate.
10.1. Sexual crimes (Group 2) main crimes
The longest median police known to verdict times for crimes classified in Sexual crimes group are for Rape & attempted rape and Sexual assault.
10.1.1. Rape & attempted rape
The median police known to verdict times and the times for the different stages of the justice process for accused persons with Rape & attempted rape as the main crime are shown in Figure 17.
In 2024-25, the median police known to verdict time for accused with Rape & attempted rape offences increased by 4% from 1,026 days (around 2 years and 10 months) to 1,062 days (around 2 years and 11 months).
The median police known to COPFS report time decreased from 73 days (-3%) in 2023-24 to 71 days in 2024-25.
Up to 2021-22, median COPFS report to court registration times were around 300 days before increasing by around two-thirds in 2022-23. In 2024-25 this has increased slightly by 4 days (1%) to 505 days compared to 2023-24.
Median court registration to verdict times have been decreasing since the pandemic-related increase in 2021-22 and in 2024-25 decreased by a further 14 days (-4%) to 336 days.
Figure 17: For accused persons with Rape & attempted rape as the main crime, the median journey time increased in the latest financial year, median police known to COPFS report time decreased, median COPFS report to court registration time increased slightly and median court registration to verdict time decreased.
Median police known to verdict time and median times for different justice stages for accused with Rape & attempted rape as the main crime by financial year.
Crimes of Rape & attempted rape have the highest proportion of historic offences (48% of all Rape & attempted rape accused in financial year 2024-25). The median offence to verdict, police known to verdict times and the journey times of the different stages of the justice process for accused with historic and non-historic Rape & attempted rape offences are presented in Supplementary Table 13 and in the supporting Journey times in the Scottish Criminal Justice System interactive dashboard.
10.1.2. Sexual assault
The median police known to verdict times and the times for different stages of the justice process for accused with Sexual assault as the main crime are shown in Figure 18.
In 2024-25, compared to 2023-24, the median police known to verdict time decreased by 34 days (-7%) to 475 days (around 1 year and 4 months).
Police known to COPFS report times increased by 5% from 21 days in 2023-24 to 22 days in 2024-25.
Median COPFS report to court registration times decreased by 20% from 127 days in 2023-24 to 102 days in 2024-25.
Median court registration to verdict times decreased by 11% from 231 days in 2023-24 to 206 days in 2024-25.
Figure 18: For accused persons with Sexual assault as the main crime, the median journey time decreased in the latest financial year, median police known to COPFS report time increased slightly while median COPFS report to court registration and median court registration to verdict times decreased.
Median police known to verdict time and median times for different justice stages for accused with Sexual assault as the main crime by financial year.
10.2. Non-sexual crimes of violence (Group 1) main crimes
The longest journey times in Non-sexual crimes of violence group are for accused charged with Causing death by driving dangerously and Murder and culpable homicide. Times for these crimes and crimes prosecuted under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 are described below.
10.2.1. Causing death by driving dangerously
The median police known to verdict times and the times for different stages of the justice process for accused persons with Causing death by driving dangerously as the main crime are shown in Figure 19.
The median journey time for Causing death by driving dangerously has decreased by 8% from 809 days in 2023-24 to 745 days in 2024-25.
Median police known to COPFS report times in 2024-25 were 260 days increasing from 214 days in 2023-24.
Median COPFS report to court registration time had been increasing but decreased by 74 days to 400 days in 2024-25.
Median court registration to verdict times for accused with Causing death by driving dangerously as a main charge increased by 77 days (140%) to 132 days in 2024-25.
Figure 19: For accused persons with Causing death by driving dangerously as the main crime, median journey time decreased in the latest financial year, median police known to COPFS report time increased, median COPFS report to court registration time decreased and median court registration to verdict time increased.
Median police known to verdict time and median times for different justice stages for accused with Causing death by driving dangerously as the main crime by financial year.
10.2.2. Murder and culpable homicide
The median police known to verdict times and the times for the different stages of the justice process for accused persons with Murder and culpable homicide as the main crime are shown in Figure 20.
The median journey time for murder and culpable homicide has increased since 2017-18, but decreased by 9% from 691 days in 2023-24 to 628 days in 2024-25.
For accused charged with murder and culpable homicide, median police known to COPFS report times was 3 days in 2024-25. This has not changed since 2023-24.
In 2024-25 median COPFS report to court registration time decreased by 4 days to 274 days.
Median court registration to verdict times for accused charged with Murder and culpable homicide almost doubled in 2020-21 (from 2019-20) to around 340 days and have fluctuated around that level since that time. In 2024-25 the median time increased by 21 days (6%) to 358 days.
Figure 20: For accused persons with Murder and culpable homicide as the main crime, the median journey time decreased in the latest financial year, median police known to COPFS report time remained stable, median COPFS report to court registration time decreased and median court registration to verdict time increased.
Median police known to verdict time and median times for different justice stages for accused with Murder and culpable homicide as the main crime by financial year.
10.2.3. Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 offences
The median police known to verdict times and the times for the different stages of the justice process for accused persons with offences under Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 as the main crime are shown in Figure 21.
An offence under Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 relates to a course of conduct. The legislation covers behaviour that took place on or after the date of implementation of the legislation on 1 April 2019. Therefore no offence under this legislation can have an offence date earlier than 1 April 2019 and it is therefore to be expected that the median time for offence to police known will increase over the first few years after implementation.
Median journey time for crimes charged under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 increased after the act was implemented in 2019-20, but decreased during the last couple of years, to 287 days in 2023-24 and 270 days (-6%) in 2024-25.
For accused charged under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 in 2024-25, median police known to COPFS report time was the same as the previous year at 8 days.
Median COPFS report to court registration time increased by 9 days to 23 days in 2024-25.
However, median court registration to verdict times in 2024-25 decreased by 7 days (-5%) to 146 days.
Figure 21: For accused persons with offences under Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 as the main crime, the median journey decreased in the latest financial year, median police known to COPFS report time remained stable, median COPFS report to court registration time increased and median court registration to verdict time decreased.
Median police known to verdict time and median times for different justice stages for accused with offences under Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 as the main crime by financial year.
10.3. Crimes of dishonesty (Group 3) main crimes
The longest journey times in Crimes of dishonesty group are for accused charged with Fraud. Below, we describe in detail the overall journey times and the justice‑stage times for accused persons whose main crime is Fraud, as well as for those whose main crimes are Housebreaking and Shoplifting.
10.3.1. Fraud
The median police known to verdict times and the times for the different stages of the justice process for accused persons with Fraud as the main crime are shown in Figure 22.
The median journey time for fraud has increased since 2021-22 but decreased in 2023-24 to 546 days before increasing again by 11 days (2%) to 557 days in 2024-25.
For accused charged with Fraud, median police known to COPFS report times increased in 2022-23 to 109 days and again to 128 days in 2023-24 but, decreased to 104 days in 2024-25.
In 2024-25, median COPFS report to court registration time decreased by 40 days to 125 days.
Median court registration to verdict times increased by 61 days (40%) to 212 days 2024-25.
Figure 22: For accused persons with Fraud as the main crime, the median journey time increased in the latest financial year, median police known to COPFS report time decreased, median COPFS report to court registration time decreased and median court registration to verdict time increased.
Median police known to verdict time and median times for different justice stages for accused with Fraud as the main crime by financial year.
10.3.2. Housebreaking
The median police known to verdict times and the times for the different stages of the justice process for accused persons with Housebreaking as the main crime are shown in Figure 23.
The median journey time for Housebreaking increased in 2021-22, but it decreased in the last couple of years, in 2023-24 to 382 days and again by 45 days (-12%) to 337 days in 2024-25.
The median police known to COPFS report times for Housebreaking was 16 days in 2024-25 increasing by 1 day since 2023-24.
Median COPFS report to court registration times have increased since 2021-22, but decreased by 32 days (-29%) to 78 days in 2024-25.
Median court registration to verdict times increased by 4 days (4%) to 116 days in 2024-25.
Figure 23: For accused persons with Housebreaking as the main crime, the median journey time decreased in the latest financial year, median police known to COPFS report time was stable, median COPFS report to court registration time decreased and median court registration to verdict time increased.
Median police known to verdict time and median times for different justice stages for accused with Housebreaking as the main crime by financial year.
10.3.3. Shoplifting
The median police known to verdict times and the times for the different stages of the justice process for accused persons with Shoplifting as the main crime are shown in Figure 24.
The median journey time for Shoplifting increased in 2020-21 and 2021-22 but had decreased to 209 days by 2023-24. This time increased by 3 days (1%) to 212 days in 2024-25.
Median police known to COPFS report times for this type of crime have more than doubled since 2017-18 and reached 51 days in 2023-24 before decreasing to 45 days in 2024-25.
Median COPFS report to court registration times have been more or less stable during the eight financial years reported on and was 43 days in 2024-25.
Median court registration to verdict times increased in 2020-21 and 2021-22 and then started to decrease. However they increased by 5 days (6%) to 87 days in 2024-25.
Figure 24: For accused persons with Shoplifting as the main crime, the median journey time increased slightly in the latest financial year, median police known to COPFS report time decreased and, median COPFS report to court registration and median court registration to verdict times increased.
Median police known to verdict time and median times for different justice stages for accused with Shoplifting as the main crime by financial year.
10.4. Damage and reckless behaviour crimes (Group 4) main crimes
The longest journey time in Damage and reckless behaviour crimes group are for accused charged with Fire-raising. Below, we describe in detail the overall journey times and the justice‑stage times for accused persons with this crime as main offence.
10.4.1. Fire-raising
The median police known to verdict times and the times for the different stages of the justice process for accused persons with Fire-raising as the main crime are shown in Figure 25.
The median journey time for fire-raising increased by 29 days (6%) to 516 days in 2024-25.
Median police known to COPFS report times for this type of crime was 12 days in 2024-25, increasing from 6 days in 2023-24.
Median COPFS report to court registration times have decreased by 25 days (-9%) to 265 days in 2024-25.
Median court registration to verdict times increased between 2017-18 and 2022-23, before decreasing substantially in 2023-24. Times increased again by 23 days (25%) to 115 days in 2024-25.
Figure 25: For accused persons with Fire-raising as the main crime, the median journey time increased in the latest financial year, median police known to COPFS report time increased, median COPFS report to court registration time decreased and median court registration to verdict time increased.
Median police known to verdict time and median times for different justice stages for accused with Fire-raising as the main crime by financial year.
10.5. Crimes against society (Group 5) main crimes
The longest median police known to verdict times are for accused charged with Drugs–Supply and the shortest times are for accused charged with Crimes against public justice.
10.5.1. Drugs – Supply
The median police known to verdict times and the times for the different stages of the justice process for accused persons with Drugs–Supply as the main crime are shown in Figure 26.
The median journey time for Drugs–Supply increased between 2017-18 and 2022-23, but it decreased in 2023-24 to 481 days and again by 19 days (-4%) to 462 days in 2024-25.
Median police known to COPFS report times for this type of crime were around 10 days over the three years to 2019-20 but they have generally been increasing over the last four reporting years reaching a maximum median time of 25 days in 2022-23 to, before decreasing to 21 days in 2024-25.
Median COPFS report to court registration times have been increasing between 2017-18 and 2023-24 but, in 2024-25 times decreased by 51 days (-27%) to 138 days.
Median court registration to verdict times had been increasing since 2019-20 but decreased in 2023-24. In 2024-25 they increased by 8 days (4%) to 192 days.
Figure 26: For accused persons with Drugs–Supply as the main crime, median journey time decreased in the latest financial year, median police known to COPFS report time decreased slightly, median COPFS report to court registration time decreased and median court registration to verdict time increased.
Median police known to verdict time and median times for different justice stages for accused with Drugs–Supply as the main crime by financial year.
Contact
Email: justice_analysts@gov.scot