WIREDGOV

Benefits for victims, police, prosecutors, defence lawyers and courts.

A world-leading £33 million Scottish Government initiative for sharing digital evidence from crime scene to court room is being rolled out across Scotland.

Digital Evidence Sharing Capability (DESC) allows police officers, prosecutors, defence lawyers, court staff and judges to access a secure, unified system to collect, store, process and manage evidence digitally.

Benefits include fewer victims and witnesses having to attend court, cases coming to court and concluding quicker, and valuable police time being saved.

During a pilot of the programme in Dundee, around 19,500 pieces of evidence were handled through DESC, with almost 550 hours of police officers’ time freed up.

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. The system means members of the public and businesses can submit digital evidence – such as material recorded on mobile phones – more easily by email when sent a link by a police officer. DESC also saves on transport costs and cuts CO2 emissions by reducing the need for physical evidence to be collected in person and stored.

DESC’s expansion across Tayside and Forth Valley marks the start of a phased national roll-out that is expected to be completed by autumn 2025.

Justice Secretary Angela Constance said:

“This is a world first for Scotland – a truly transformational programme where digital evidence is managed securely from crime scene to court room, benefitting victims, police officers, prosecutors, defence lawyers, court staff and judges.

“During the successful pilot in Dundee, DESC allowed justice system partners to collect, manage and share digital evidence in a streamlined and efficient way, helping to get cases resolved more quickly. It has also freed up a significant amount of time for police officers, creating additional capacity for frontline policing.”

Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs said:

“The national roll-out of DESC is a significant step forward in modernising the collection, management and secure storage of digital evidence. Until now, police officers have relied on transferring digital evidence such as mobile phone images or CCTV onto USB sticks or discs, before delivering them to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

“Through DESC, officers can obtain and share digital evidence securely and efficiently, saving them time and reducing delays. This supports victims and witnesses to achieve faster justice outcomes. The national roll-out will also provide the groundwork for further modernisation of the criminal justice process including supporting the introduction of body worn video for frontline police officers.”

Andrew Laing, Deputy Head of Local Court, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said:

“Being able to see CCTV evidence of an assault or shoplifting taking place, or Ring doorbell footage of a person committing an act of domestic abuse as soon as the matter is reported by police has allowed prosecutors to make better and quicker decisions and faster sharing with the defence to enable the early resolution of cases.   

“COPFS and criminal justice partners in Police Scotland, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, the defence community and judiciary will continue to work to transform the justice system and ensure cases move through the system as efficiently as possible, with speedier outcomes and significantly less inconvenience to victims and witnesses.“

Sheriff Principal Gillian Wade KC said:

“DESC facilitates easier sharing of digital evidence which can be crucial for determining the strength of a case at an early stage and allowing for more informed decisions about allegations against an accused person. This dovetails well with other initiatives currently  being implemented such as the Summary Case Management pilots.  Both have at their core the importance of early disclosure and engagement alongside multi-agency co-operation. This approach leads to fewer unnecessary hearings, fewer witness citations and a reduction in the number of outstanding trials.

“While DESC will initially be utilised for Summary cases only, it is envisaged that its capability will be expanded to include Solemn business at a later stage.”

Background

The Scottish Government will invest £33 million in DESC over 10 years.

DESC is initially handling evidence related to Summary cases. Solemn cases will be included at a later date.

The pilot in Dundee ran from January 2023 to April 2024 before being expanded across Tayside and Forth Valley.