People arrested in North-east Fife are sometimes kept overnight in cells as far away as Greenock, a leading solicitor said.
Douglas Williams who led an unsuccessful campaign to save Cupar Sheriff Court of law firm Williams Gray Williams said residents of North-east Fife are suffering a “gross disservice”, a year on from the closure of the court.
He said despite “Herculean efforts”, it is now commonplace for clients to miss trials in Dundee because of logistical problems with public transport.
He said travel times had “largely been ignored” by the Scottish Courts Service and ministers and trial dates were also slipping due to pressure on the system.
Combined with other pressures, he said predictions Cupar would suffer economically were coming true, with his and others law firms having their business “diluted”.
He said: “So far as the staff, agents and sheriffs are concerned, they have all been extremely understanding and have done their best to get on with court business following the changes.
“But people arrested in North-east Fife are being prejudiced. They are being taken to Kirkcaldy Police Station to be interviewed. When they are due to appear at Dundee Sheriff Court, they invariably are not taken untilthe afternoon, often due to mix-ups between G4S, the police and procurator fiscal service.
“If the alleged crime happened in North-east Fife then, despite being yards from Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court, they have to go up to Dundee because the crime happened within that jurisdiction.
“But we’ve even had custodies being taken from Cupar to Greenock overnight. I know of at least six cases from North-east Fife where this has happened. It doesn’t matter what efforts the sheriff, fiscal or sheriff clerks go to. It’s pure geography and people in North-east Fife are being punished.”
A Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service spokesperson said: “The transfer of business to Dundee Sheriff Court has been managed professionally with a seamless transition.
“All initial concerns about lack of court capacity, witness attendance problems or non-attendance of accused have proven to be unfounded. Dundee Sheriff Court continues to provide strong levels of service, with summary criminal trials being available within 16 weeks and civil proofs available within eight weeks.”Claims domestic cases are ‘clogging system’Proactive policing and prosecution and greater victim confidence in reporting crimes has reportedly led to an increase in court business over the past year.
However, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service insists the system has the capacity to cope.
Cupar solicitor Douglas Williams claimed the court system is being “clogged up”.
But a Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service spokesperson said: “At a national level there is no doubt that over the last year and a half the reporting and detection of crimes, including sexual, domestic abuse and road traffic offences, has increased, reflecting the proactive policing and prosecution, and greater victim confidence to report crimes.
“Equally, we have no doubt that the physical court capacity exists to deal effectively with this increased volume of business. Additional judiciary, court staff and fiscal staff have been deployed to use the court capacity available, ensuring the additional volume of business is dealt with effectively by the courts.
“Our focus is on building a stronger court service which improves access to justice, reduces delays and costs, and maximises the use of technology to improve our services. We are now able to invest in a modern court structure throughout Scotland, with digital innovation at its heart.”
Cupar’s outgoing sheriff, Charles Macnair, predicted last May that the closure of Cupar Sheriff Court and the transfer of business to Dundee Sheriff Court would not lead to the “shambles” that many had predicted.