Question reference: S5W-33215
- Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 12 November 2020
-
Current status: Answered by Ash Denham on 26 November 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will launch its Consultation on Scottish Court Fees 2021-2024.
Answer
There is no statutory requirement for the Scottish Government to review court fees on a specific date. However, court fees have generally been reviewed every three years, with the last full round being implemented in 2018. The Scottish Government intended to complete a full review of court fees this year and as part of the review launch a full consultation. This position has now changed.
Ministers have reflected on the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 emergency upon volumes of court business and SCTS’ income. We have concluded that the review should be delayed until next year.
We would expect that the full 12 week public consultation will be run sometime in late spring/early summer 2021.
Running the consultation within that revised timeframe will allow for a more meaningful consultation for a number of reasons. It will benefit from the civil courts system having another few months of the recovery and renewal process. We will also have a greater sense of whether any longer term implications may arise and whether that requires a more fundamental look at how fees are charged and exemptions are applied.
Additionally, it will also allow issues raised by Petition PE1748: Review of the Sheriff Court Fees Order 2018 ( make self-litigation more accessible to disabled people) to be fully considered and included in the consultation.