Services
- Bail Information Scheme
- Bail Supervision
- Bail accommodation
- Children and young people who offend
- Community Service Orders (CSO)
- Court Services
- Court reports
- Diversion from Prosecution Scheme
- Drug Treatment and Testing Orders (DTTO)
- Fast-tracking court cases at Linlithgow Sheriff Court
- Fines and Compensation Orders
- Prison Through-care and Aftercare
- Probation Orders
- Restriction of Liberty Orders
- Risk Assessment
- Supervised Attendance Orders
- West Lothian's Criminal Justice Teams and their services
Court Services
Where are the courts in West Lothian?
West Lothian has two courts - Linlithgow Sheriff Court (which has an annexe in the Livingston Courthouse) and West Lothian District Court, also based in the Livingston Courthouse. All these courts will move to the new West Lothian Civic Centre. As of late 2007, all these courts and their business will be managed by the Scottish Courts Administration.
What is the role of Social Workers in court?
A lot of court work now involves the Criminal Justice Social Work Service, and we have a team of Social Workers who work on a rota basis in the courts - daily at Linlithgow, where most of the court work is done, and on some days at the Livingston Courthouse.
The Court Social Worker is responsible for making sure that the courts have all necessary information to assist in dealing with cases, by:
- ensuring that court reports are available in court
- helping the people on whom reports have been written with any questions or concerns they may have
- dealing with enquiries from the Sheriffs or solicitors about the availablilty of services in the community
- interviewing offenders on whom court reports have been requested, or who have been sentenced to any of the sentences that the CJ Social Work Service manages.
Who else helps deal with problems in court?
Visitors to the court may see other people, including staff of the Witness Support Service and occasionally staff from Victim Support.
Court Custody service
If a person is arrested and brought to court from police custody, or if someone appears in court from prison, they will be transported to court and looked after in the custody suite by staff of Reliance Custodial Services (new window) .