The Scottish Government has begun the national roll out of its new Digital Evidence Sharing Capability (DESC) for the country’s criminal courts.
It said the £33 million programme will enable police officers, prosecutors, defence lawyers, court staff and judges to access a single secure system to collect, store and manage evidence.
Among the benefits claimed will be fewer victims and witnesses having to attend court, cases being taken to court and concluding more quickly, and savings in police time.
The national roll out follows a pilot in Dundee, which began in March of last year and has reportedly involved the handling of around 19,500 pieces of evidence and saved almost 550 hours of police officers’ time.
The first stage will be an expansion of the service across Tayside and Forth Valley, and the programme is scheduled to be completed nationally by autumn 2025.
Initially the system will handle evidence for less serious summary cases and will take on solemn cases, which could go to a High Court, at a later date.
World first
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 of Police Scotland 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.”
He added: “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.”
More functions to come
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 enables 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.
