Prosecution

The Procurator Fiscal (PF) represents the Crown and is responsible for investigating and prosecuting all crimes in the area. When the police believe that they have enough evidence to support a prosecution, they will send a report to the PF who will then decide if this evidence is enough to argue the case in Court.

The PF also decides which Court the accused should appear in, depending on how serious the crime is, what sentencing powers the Court has, and whether the accused has a criminal record. Some crimes can only be heard in certain Courts - the more serious the crime, the higher the Court it will be heard in.

In some less serious cases, although the PF may decide that action needs to be taken, they may feel that prosecution is not the most appropriate action. Instead, they may recommend that the offender is given a warning, has to pay a fine, or is referred for specialist support or treatment.

Find out more

• Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal