Criminal Appeal Court hearings to be live streamed online in Scottish first from August 29

Hearings at the Criminal Appeal Court will be the first in Scotland to be live streamed on a regular basis.

From August 29, criminal appeals will be available to be viewed by the public online in a bid to improve access and transparency within the appeal court.

Initially featuring appeals against conviction and Crown appeals against sentences, Criminal Appeal Court Live may extend to all appeals in future being live streamed.

The move follows the success of live streaming from the Court of Session, Scotland’s highest civil court, which began in June 2023.

The Lord Justice General, Lord Pentland, said: “The principle of open justice is fundamental to our legal system and, indeed, the stability of our country. It helps secure the efficient and impartial administration of justice and supports public confidence in and respect for the rule of law.

“The launch of Criminal Appeal Court Live is the latest initiative to be introduced as part of our commitment to this important principle and I’m pleased to open up the court to a much wider, online audience.

“The service will help to educate and inform the public about the work of the Criminal Appeal Court and allow interested parties – including complainers – to view proceedings without the need to attend in person.

“It will also provide the media with more efficient access to cases to assist with informed and accurate reporting and allow academics and students to engage with the court process in a more convenient way.

“This is an important step in ensuring that justice can be seen to be done in today’s digitally driven world.”

Lord Pentland has welcomed the move Stewart Attwood Photography

The Criminal Appeal Court at Parliament House in Edinburgh has recently been fitted with new audio and visual equipment for the project and the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service (SCTS) website will be updated with details of upcoming cases.

In some cases, hearings will be available on demand, allowing members of the public to watch proceedings at convient times.

Malcolm Graham, SCTS chief executive, said: “The launch of Criminal Appeal Court Live is another significant development for SCTS which will support open justice and transparency in our courts.

“The new service will allow greater public understanding of appeal cases 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 stage.

“This is a strong example of how technology can improve access for those who use or have an interest in our courts, and I am very thankful to everyone involved in this initiative for their hard work in developing it.”

Equipment in Court Two has been updated ahead of the launch Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service

Lord Clark, who leads the livestreaming project, added: “This is a significant progression in our livestreaming journey and marks an important milestone for Scotland’s courts.

“The launch of Criminal Appeal Court Live builds on the success of the Court of Session livestream which has streamed 68 hearings since it was launched, with cases of significant public importance reaching viewing figures of more than 5,000 at times.

“I’m confident that the move into criminal appeals will also attract a high level of interest and bring additional benefits to those who use our courts.”

Details of cases to be livestreamed can be found on the Criminal Appeal Court Live webpage on the SCTS website.