Scottish Budget 2026 to 2027

Chapter 7 Justice & Home Affairs

Portfolio Responsibilities

The Justice and Home Affairs portfolio has responsibility for keeping communities safe, supporting the administration of justice, and ensuring Scotland is resilient and can respond to a range of threats, including serious and organised crime.

The portfolio ensures provision of effective public services, including essential emergency services including police and fire, in which we will invest £1.7 billion and £436 million respectively in 2026-27, enabling them to fulfil their critical role as first responders, while also supporting and strengthening local communities. It has responsibility for delivery of civil, criminal, and administrative justice systems. We will invest £1 billion in Scotland’s prisons, £212 million in courts and tribunals, £195 million in the legal aid system and £86.5 million in criminal justice social work, as well as supporting the contributions of third sector services. This is underpinned by the principle that everyone should have the right to access justice.

The portfolio supports work to build safe, secure, and more resilient communities, with a focus on prevention, and providing person-centred and trauma-informed services for victims, survivors, and witnesses through our investment of £25.9 million. Investment in community justice services of £102.3 million supports our shift to the use of more community based sentences. The portfolio also ensures provision of legal representation for those accused of crimes, ensuring a fair trial remains an essential and fundamental right.

As outlined in the Vision for Justice, the portfolio seeks to enhance the wellbeing and life outcomes of individuals by, first and foremost, ensuring the safety and resilience of our communities. This includes preventing and reducing crime and offending, as well as striving to transform societal attitudes and circumstances that contribute to the perpetuation of harm. We also contribute to tackling inequalities, protecting and promoting human rights, which supports a sustainable, inclusive and prosperous economy.

Our Programme for Government commitments support the improvement of our public services through funding new prisons, and working with justice partners to strengthen alternatives to remand. We are also focussing on victims and witnesses by implementing the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Act 2025. We support the First Minister’s priority of delivering high quality and efficient public services by working with partners across the system through a range of initiatives including rolling out Body Worn Video technology to police officers, which is increasing public confidence in policing; expanding the Digital Evidence Sharing Capability system to support the quicker resolution of cases; and preventative interventions to reduce demand on justice services.

The budget allocated to the Justice and Home Affairs Portfolio strengthens Scotland’s commitment to a safer and fairer society by investing in justice services, community safety, and support systems that protect individual rights and enhance public confidence. This year’s budget settlement of £4,616.8 million demonstrates an uplift compared to the draft budget settlement of £4,197.3 million set at this stage last year.

Justice & Home Affairs intended contributions to the National Outcomes

Primary National Outcomes

• Communities
• Human Rights

Secondary National Outcomes

• Children and Young People
• Economy
• International
• Poverty
• Education
• Fair Work and Business
• Health Environment

Justice & Home Affairs

The prior year 2025-26 Budget Comparator figures are based on the latest in-year budget numbers which were revised at the Autumn Budget Revision. The 2024-25 Scottish Budget comparator figures reflect the outturn numbers for that year.

* Justice figures for 2026-27 reflect the agreed transfer of Police and Fire Pensions to AME.