First livestream to come from Scottish criminal court | UK News

An appeal in a trial that has been postponed three times will be the first to be livestreamed under a new service from the Scottish courts.

The public will be able to watch the case unfold online later this week through “Criminal Appeal Court Live”.

The case involves an unnamed woman accused of several offences against two children.

It’s the first time a Scottish criminal court has used a regular livestreaming service, following a similar scheme involving civil cases introduced at the Court of Session two years ago.

Trials were scheduled in November 2023, September 2024 and June 2025, but on every occasion they were adjourned because of insufficient court capacity.

The woman’s lawyers are challenging a sheriff’s decision to give prosecutors until October to bring the case to trial.

Prisoners will not be included in live streamed footage and any appeals involving new witnesses giving evidence in person won’t feature.

Scotland’s top judge, the Lord Justice General Lord Pentland, said: “We now operate in a world where technology offers us the enormous advantage of opening the door of the courtroom to a far wider audience, who may have an interest in what happens in their criminal justice system.

“What we’re doing here is designed to make effective and real in the modern world the principle of open justice, and that is fundamental to the stability and integrity of our society and to the rule of law.”

Initially, the service will involve appeals against convictions and prosecution appeals against sentence, with a view to all appeals eventually being livestreamed.

Safeguards will be in place to ensure victims of sexual crime are not identified and anyone who misuses the footage could face contempt of court proceedings.

A summary of each case will be published in advance to help the public understand the issues involved, and where appropriate, an “on demand” catch-up service will be available for those who can’t watch the case in real time.

Scotland’s courts were the first in the UK to allow the filming of sentencings in major criminal cases, many of which have also been the subject of TV documentaries.

Lord Pentland said any long-term move towards the filming of criminal trials for on-the-day news reports was “unlikely.”

He added: “Broadcasting the giving of evidence by witnesses in a courtroom presents a huge range of challenges.

“What I would say though, is that the Scottish courts have blazed something of a trail when it comes to allowing cameras into courtrooms.

“The courts are not entertainment and must not be viewed in that way and that’s why we’re approaching it in a highly professional and regulated manner.”

Hearings will be streamed from one of Scotland’s oldest courtrooms at Parliament House in Edinburgh, where eight newly-installed cameras will capture views of the judges and lawyers.

Malcolm Graham, chief executive of the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service, said: “The new service will allow greater public understanding of the appeals process and provide a means for complainers and other court users to view proceedings without the need to attend court, either live as it happens or at a later date.”

Court of Session Live has streamed 68 hearings since it was launched in 2023, with some cases reaching viewing figures of more than 5,000.

Defence lawyer Tony Lenehan KC, vice dean of the Faculty of Advocates, said: “We’re very much in favour of this.

“The courts are administered on behalf of the public and it’s important the public are able to see how justice is done.

“We already have the televising of some of the big murder trials.

“It’s not always pleasant to be performing in court and thinking that you’re being televised at the same time, but the reality is people need to see how their justice system is operating and this is an important way of doing it.”

Details of cases to be livestreamed can be found on the Criminal Appeal Court Live page on the Scottish Courts Service website.