By Samantha Jones-
A new £33 million system to digitally transform how evidence is managed across the justice system is to be rolled out across Scotland later this year.
Justice Secretary Keith Brown(pictured) said it was “a significant milestone” that will spare witnesses from having to attend court as often and free-up police officers’ time.
The Digital Evidence Sharing Capability service (DESC), which has been piloted in Dundee, will for the first time allow prosecutors, court staff, police officers, and defence lawyers to access a unified system to handle evidence digitally.
The DESC handles evidence including CCTV footage, photographs, and data and other materials from computers and mobile devices.
This will be expanded to include documents and recordings of police interviews.
Members of the public and businesses will be able to submit digital evidence – such as material recorded on mobile phones – more easily by email when sent a link by a police officer.
The Scottish government says the benefits of the system include reducing the impact on victims and witnesses by supporting quicker resolution of cases as well as reducing police officer workloads.
It will also significantly reduce the need to transport physical evidence.
Mr Brown said: “This is a significant milestone in our overhaul of how evidence is managed through Scotland’s justice system.
“From crime scene to courtroom, DESC will allow victims and others involved in criminal cases to move on with their lives sooner and free-up officers’ time to focus more on frontline policing.”
He added: “No other country in the world has invested in a digital evidence solution which serves each part of the criminal justice system equally.
“The Scottish government has invested £33 million in this innovative, secure and environmentally sustainable project, which also highlights the successful collaboration of justice partners.”
Already the pilot – which began in January – is proving extremely successful, with 600 cases handled and a guilty plea in a case involving digital evidence.
Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Wendy Middleton, Criminal Justice, said: “We welcome the introduction of DESC which is expected to enable fast, secure digital evidence sharing across the criminal justice system.
“Police Scotland is working closely alongside its criminal justice partners to maximise the potential of this technology which aims to improve everyone’s experiences of criminal justice and enable further modernisation in the future.”
Andrew Laing, deputy head of Local Court, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said the introduction of this digital project will improve the experience of victims and witnesses in the criminal justice process.
“Digital evidence sharing is one part of sector-wide innovation, and COPFS is determined to play our part in increasing the confidence of victims in the criminal justice system through our commitment to modernisation along with our partners,” he said.
David Fraser, executive director, Court Operations, Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, added: “This is a significant milestone in the DESC project and I would congratulate everyone who have been involved in getting to this stage.
“Along with other initiatives including the summary case management pilot, it is anticipated this will lead to more court business being dealt with at an earlier stage. Issues around the presentation of evidence in court will also be lessened meaning that trials will run more smoothly.
“While this initial pilot will deal with summary cases only, it is envisaged that DESC will be expanded to include ‘solemn’ business at a later stage.”
The DESC is a collaboration between the Scottish government, Police Scotland, COPFS, Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, the Scottish Police Authority and the defence community and aims to transform the way that digital evidence is managed throughout criminal investigations and prosecutions.
Justice partners and software providers Axon have worked to ensure all the necessary data security and governance is in place for the pilot in Dundee.
Only approved staff from justice organisations will be able to access DESC software, and access is fully audited and monitored.