Highlands and Islands MSP, Edward Mountain is calling on the SNP government to urgently outline measures to reduce the lengthy delays in the courts system which have hit 633 trials in Inverness.
The latest figures from the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service show that nationally 22,437 trials are still waiting to be called in court, up from 18,355 in 2019/20.
Edward Mountain MSP is calling on SNP Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf to urgently deal with the backlog, saying that far too many victims are facing an unacceptably long wait to have their day in court.
Only last month, Eric McQueen, Chief Executive of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service warned that the backlog in courts could take a decade to clear.
Edward Mountain MSP commented: “The enforced shut down of our courts as a result of the pandemic has significantly reduced the number of trials that can be seen.
“This has added to an already unacceptable situation that the SNP Government must now address - over 600 trials are still waiting to be heard in Inverness.
“Clearly this is a long term issue too and cannot be blamed only on the pandemic.
“Over 600 victims are having to wait far too long to have their day in court, causing many of them additional pain and trauma.
“I urge the SNP Government to act urgently and speed up this process for victims and their families.”
