New High Court locations planned to help clear Covid backlog
- Published
The High Court last sat in Dundee in 2013
The High Court could sit at four new locations in Scotland under plans to clear a backlog of cases caused by the pandemic.
The proposed locations are Airdrie, Stirling, Inverness, and Dundee.
The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) recently announced plans, external to begin a "court recovery programme" from September.
Two additional Sheriff Solemn Courts and up to 10 Sheriff Summary Courts are also being considered.
Last September, a Holyrood committee warned that Scottish courts could take up to a decade to return to normal after Covid.
The High Court, which deals with Scotland's most serious criminal cases, currently sits at three permanent sites in Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Edinburgh.
It last sat in Dundee in 2013, before being removed from the High Court circuit.
The new Sheriff Solemn Courts are proposed for Dumfries and Dunfermline.
The SCTS said: "Over the coming months we will be working with justice organisations, the legal profession and the third sector to prepare for the recovery programme, which will be dependent on continued progress on vaccination and Covid transmission rates."