3. Statistical context

The trend data supplied in this publication needs to consider the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic (referred to subsequently in this report as the ‘pandemic’). There were significant public health measures, including two national lockdowns, in place during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 recording years. For example, many courts were temporarily closed early in 2020-21. There was also reduced capacity when courts reopened. This means that statistics for most areas of justice social work were impacted in 2020-21 and 2021-22. Caution is advised in comparing data from these two years to other years.

The numbers quoted in the text in this publication are rounded. The tables and charts published alongside this report contain unrounded figures. More information on this is available in section 7.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, East Lothian was unable to provide full CPO data in time for inclusion in this year’s report. Consequently, the figures requiring breakdowns for East Lothian for 2024-25 are based on estimates. These numbers will be updated with revised data in the 2025-26 publication.

Revisions to earlier years’ data have been made back to 2018-19 for community payback orders and back to 2022-23 for drug treatment and testing orders, as a result of more up to date data being provided by local authorities.