Court warrants increase 22% amid claims justice system at ‘breaking point’

Court warrants have surged by nearly 25% in recent years, prompting calls for “system-wide reform” from the Scottish Police Federation.

Police Scotland has recorded a 22% increase in warrants received from 2023 to 2025, with more than 10,000 still waiting to be executed across the country, figures show.

The Scottish Police Federation (SPF) said the issue is having a “direct and damaging impact on policing capacity”, while opposition MSPs said it shows the justice system is at “breaking point”, 1919 Magazine reported.

In a report to the Scottish Police Authority’s policing performance committee, Assistant Chief Constable Wendy Middleton said it is becoming “increasingly difficult” for officers to keep pace with the number of warrants they are expected to pursue.

She also warned delays to court proceedings could be detrimental to witness evidence.

David Kennedy, Scottish Police Federation general secretary, said: “Each warrant represents officer time abstracted from local policing, prevention work and visible community presence, and instead diverted into repeated attempts to trace, arrest, convey and then repeatedly attend court.

“Frontline officers are already stretched thin. They are being asked to absorb the consequences of systemic delays, non-attendance at court, and wider social instability, all while police numbers have fallen significantly since 2013.

“More warrants, fewer officers, and no additional capacity is an unsustainable equation.

“Without meaningful, system-wide reform and realistic workforce planning, officers will continue to be pulled away from communities – and the public will ultimately pay the price.”

New figures show the number of warrants received by Police Scotland rose from 25,665 in 2023 to 31,367 in 2025, an increase of 22%.

Ms Middleton wrote in her report: “The issuing of a warrant will often result in a hearing being adjourned, and a general duplication of effort to reconvene court proceedings.

“This increases the number of citations to be served, as well as an increase in the time spent in court for police officers.

“Delays in court procedures can also see evidence diminish over time, such as first-hand witness accounts.

“It places direct demand on frontline officers who are required to trace accused persons and apprehend them.

“This can involve extensive inquiries to locate individuals, especially those individuals who are intent on evading arrest or simply because of the lifestyle an individual leads.

“Ultimately, it places direct demand on frontline officers and abstracts them from other policing duties within local communities.”

Scottish Labour justice spokeswoman Pauline McNeill told 1919 Magazine: “Scotland’s entire justice system – from frontline policing to courts to prisons – is at breaking point under the SNP.

“We need to work across our public services to understand and address the causes of no-shows in courts and ensure that our bail system is working as it must.”

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Liam Kerr added: “This is the product of a justice system which has been starved of resources and attention from government ministers. It’s one under-pressure area inadvertently putting pressure on another.

“As usual, it all then falls on officers to chase up warrants and then sacrifice their hard-pressed time attending court over and again.”

A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) told 1919: “Prosecutors seek warrants only where necessary and appropriate, in line with legal requirements and the interests of justice.

“In every case it is for the court to decide whether or not to grant a warrant. COPFS works closely with Police Scotland and the courts to ensure that warrants are properly managed.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The issuing of warrants is for the independent courts and the execution of warrants is a matter for Police Scotland, who remain focused on the investigation of crime and keeping our communities safe.

“Our police perform a vital role keeping Scotland’s communities safe, which is why we have invested a record £1.64 billion for policing in 2025/26.

“Scotland continues to have more police officers per capita than England and Wales and this continues to be a safe place to live, with recorded crime falling by half since 1991.”

When approached for comment, Police Scotland pointed to a report submitted to the Scottish Police Authority in December, which said a number of actions are under way to address the “high number of outstanding warrants”.

The report said: “Police Scotland will continue to prioritise resources in respect of warrant execution based on threat, risk and harm to ensure communities are kept safe.

“An internal review has commenced to understand if there are opportunities to enhance our approach to the management, allocation and governance of warrants within the challenging landscape outlined in this paper.

“Police Scotland will engage with and collaborate with criminal justice partners to understand if there are additional measures and different approaches within the wider criminal justice system which can be implemented.”