Overview
Trials at Glasgow High Court will commence with remote juries on Tuesday 13 October. Juries will be based in a new remote jury centre in the cinema complex at Braehead in Renfrewshire. The centre will have 11 jury rooms, with each room able to accomodate 15 socially distanced jurors.
Why it matters
With trials on hold since the beginning of the Coronavirus lockdown measures in March, Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf has highlighted that getting on top of the backlog of cases will be a “significant challenge”. There are now around 1,800 cases built up and it is estimated by the courts service that by March 2021, more than 2,000 sheriff court jury trials will be outstanding.
The Big Picture
The Inside Track
We got the inside track on remote jury trials in Glasgow from Brian McConnachie QC
What comes next?
The model will be rolled out to allow sheriff and jury trials, suspended since the Coronavirus lockdown, to begin again in November.