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Witnesses to be summoned to court via text message

Edinburgh Sheriff Court in Scotland is to pilot a text message scheme to increase witness attendance. As part of scheme, witnesses are sent a text message a few days before they are due to attend court, as figures reveal one in five fail to turn up.

The failure of witnesses to attend has been cited as a “major reason” for delays in court, while cases regularly collapse because of their non-attendance. Figures from November 2011, show that 58 cases out of 288, or 20 per cent, were adjourned at Edinburgh Sheriff Court because witnesses were absent.

Although witnesses failing to attend without a valid excuse can be punished. Under the law, a witness who is summoned but fails to attend without “reasonable cause” can be fined a maximum of £1000 or jailed for up to 21 days.

The scheme is aimed at people who may genuinely forget the court date and the use of text message is a low cost option. 

Text reminders will be sent to civilian and expert witnesses but not police or child witnesses, who are due to give evidence in sheriff summary trial

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