We have a range of resources which aim to inform and help victims of different types of crimes, such as sexual crime, human trafficking, domestic abuse and hate crime.
Our publications include useful guidance on various aspects of the court process in which you may be involved as a victim.
In this section you can also find resources relating to your legal rights of appealing for a review of a decision by us not to prosecute, as well as of requesting access to certain information about your case.
The majority of the resources available on this page have been produced by our Victim Information and Advice (VIA) service. This service, which has offices around the country, offers help to child victims and victims of crime in cases of domestic abuse, hate crime, sexual crime or where it is likely that a trial will involve a jury.
If you are eligible for our VIA service you will also be sent leaflets which give more information about the various aspects of the court process.
If you require further assistance or advice, please contact:
COPFS Enquiry Point
Telephone: 0300 020 3000
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Information about different types of crime
Domestic Abuse
Hate Crime
Advice for Victims of Hate Crime - English - June 15
Advice for Victims of Hate crime - Czechoslovakian Jan 15
Advice for Victims of Hate crime - Lithuanian - June 15
Advice for Victims of Hate crime - Mandarin Jan 15
Advice for Victims of Hate crime - Nepalese Jan 15
Advice for Victims of Hate crime - Polish June 15
Advice for Victims of Hate crime - Punjabi Jan 15
Advice for Victims of Hate Crime - Romanian June 15
Advice for Victims of Hate crime - Urdu
Human Trafficking
Information about the court process
Summary Trials leaflet and translated versions ▼
Information about Summary Trials - English June 15
Information about Summary Trials - Bengali June 15
Information about Summary trials - Cantonese Jan 15
Information about Summary trials - Latvian June 15
Information about Summary trials - Lithuanian June 15
Information about Summary trials - Mandarin June 15
Information about Summary trials - Nepalese June 15
Information about Summary trials - Polish Jan 15
Information about Summary trials - Portuguese June 15
Information about Summary trials - Punjabi Jan 15
Information about Summary trials - Romanian June 15
Information about Summary trials - Russian Jan 15
Information about Summary trials - Slovakian June 15
Information about Summary trials - Turkish Jan 15
Information about Summary trials - Urdu Jan 15
Petition procedure leaflet and translated versions ▼
Information about the Petition Procedure - English June 15
Information about the Petition Procedure - Bosnian June 15
Information about the Petition Procedure - German June 15
Information about the Petition Procedure - Italian June 15
Information about the Petition Procedure - Mandarin Jan 15
Information about the Petition Procedure - Polish June 15
Information about the Petition Procedure - Pushtu Jan 15
Information about the Petition Procedure - Slovakian Jan 15
Information about the Petition Procedure Spanish June 15
Sheriff and Jury procedure leaflet and translated versions ▼
Information about Sheriff and Jury trials June 15
Information about Sheriff and Jury trials - Albanian June 2015
Information about Sheriff and Jury trials - Bengali June 15
Information about Sheriff and Jury trials - Cantonese June 15
Information about Sheriff and Jury trials - Czechoslovakian Jan 15
Information about Sheriff and Jury trials - Estonian June 15
Information about Sheriff and Jury trials - German June 15
Information about Sheriff and Jury trials - Kurdish Jan 15
Information about Sheriff and Jury trials - Lithuanian June 15
Information about Sheriff and Jury trials - Polish June 15
Information about Sheriff and Jury trials - Portuguese June 15
Information about Sheriff and Jury trials - Punjabi Jan 15
Information about Sheriff and Jury trials - Romanian June 15
Information about Sheriff and Jury trials - Russian June 15
Information about Sheriff and Jury trials - Somali Jan 15
Information about Sheriff and Jury trials - Urdu Jan 15
Information about Sheriff and Jury trials - Spanish June 15
Information about Sheriff and Jury trials -Turkish June 15
High Court procedure leaflet and translated versions ▼
Sentences leaflet and translated versions ▼
Information about Sentences June 15
Information about Sentences -Bengali Jan 15
Information about Sentences - Kurdish Jan 15
Information about Sentences - Lithuanian June 15
Information about Sentences - Mandarin June 15
Information about Sentences - Polish June 15
Information about Sentences - Russian June 15
Information about Sentences - Turkish June 15
Appeals leaflet and translated versions ▼
Giving your Statement (Precognition) leaflet and translated versions ▼
Information about your legal rights as a victim
Victims’ Right to Review
Please be aware that from 1 July 2015, you, as a victim of crime in Scotland, have the right to a review of a decision by us not to prosecute, made on or after 1 July 2015. You should if possible apply for a review within one month of the date you are informed of our decision not to prosecute. Generally you would be told of the review decision within 20 working days.
Application form to request a review
Victims and Witnesses - Access to Information Protocol
The Victims and Witnesses (
The central objective of the Victim and Witnesses (
Access to Information Protocol
Access to Information Protocol - easy read version
Access to Information Protocol - COPFS Application Form – July 2015
Access to Information Protoccol - Scottish Court Service Request Form
Victims’ Rights (Scotland) Regulations 2015
Victims Rights - Return of Property
COPFS welcomes the opportunity to provide a response to the consultation paper on the Victims and Witnesses Bill. This Bill represents the commitment of the Scottish Government to improve the experience of victims and witnesses, a commitment which is shared by COPFS.
Victims and Witnesses Bill - Consultation Paper - COPFS Response
Our Commitments to Victims and Prosecution Witnesses
Our Commitment to Victims and Witnesses booklet and translated versions ▼
Our Commitments to Victims and Prosecution Witnesses - Information Booklet
Arabic - Our Commitment to Victims and Witnesses - Arabic تحدد هذه النشرة إلتزامنا نحوك بصفتك ضحية أو بصفتك شاهد للادعاء العام. وبأمكانك أن تطلع على المزيد في نشرة المعلومات "إلتزامنا نحو الضحايا وشهود الادعاء العام – نشرة معلومات.
Farsi - Our Commitment to Victims and Witnesses - Farsi. در این بروشور، تعهدات ما در قبال شما به عنوان قربانی یا شاهد برای تعقیب کیفری تدوین شده است
French - Our Commitment to Victims and Witnesses - French. Ce dépliant présente nos engagements envers vous en tant que victime ou témoin pour la partie civile. Pour plus de renseignements, veuillez consulter le dépliant : “Our Commitments to Victims and Prosecution Witnesses” (Notre engagement envers les victime
Gaelic - Our Commitment to Victims and Witnesses - Gaelic. Tha am bileag seo a' cur an cèill ar dleastanais ribh mar neach-fuiling neo neach-fianaise-cùirte. Gheibh sibh tuilleadh fios o "Ar Dleastanais ri Luchd-Fuiling agus Luchd-Fianaise-Cùirte - Leabhran Fiosrachaidh
Polish - Our Commitment to Victims and Witnesses - Polish. Niniejsza ulotka ma na celu opisanie naszych zobowiązań wobec ofiar przestępstw i świadków oskarżenia. Dodatkowe informacje można znaleźć w broszurze "Nasze zobowiązania wobec ofiar przestępstw i świadków oskarżenia - Broszura Informacyjna
Russian - Our Commitment to Victims and Witnesses - Russian. В этом буклете изложены наши обязательства по отношению к вам в качестве потерпевшего или свидетеля обвинения. Более подробная информация содержится в брошюре "Наши обязательства по отношению к потерпевшим и свидетелям обвинения - Информационная брошюра
How Can We Help You leaflet and translated versions ▼
How we can help You - English June 15
How we can help you - Albanian June 15
How can we help you - Arabic Jan 15
How we can help you - Bengali June 15
How can we help you - Bosnian June 15
How we can help you - Cantonese Jan 15
How we can help you - Czechoslovakian June 15
How can we help you - Farsi Jan 15
How we can help you - French Jan 15
How we can help you - German Jan 15
How we can help you - Hindi Jan 15
How we can help you - Hungarian June 15
How we can help you - Italian June 15
How we can help you - Kurdish Jan 15
How we can help you - Latvian June 15
How we can help you - Lithuanian June 15
How we can help you - Mandarin Jan 15
How we can help you - Nepalese June 15
How we can help you - Polish June 15
How we can help you - Portuguese June 15
How we can help you - Punjabi Jan 15
How can we help you -Pushtu Jan 15
How we can help you - Romanian June 15
How can we help you - Russian Jan 15
How we can help you - Slovakian June 15
How we can help you - Spanish Jan 15
How we can help you - Turkish June 15
How we can help you - Ukrainian June 15
People with Learning Disability
People with Learning Disabilities and the Scottish Criminal Justice System
You may find the following "Easy Read" versions of the above booklet helpful:
Prosecution Policy and Guidance
The Prosecution Policy and Guidance section offers a range of resources in relation to the policy of COPFS on the prosecution procedure. It is divided into six distinct subject areas:
Scottish Government Victims and Witnesses booklets and leaflets with translated versions
- Victim of Crime Leaflets - translated into: Arabic, Bengali, Cantonese, Gaelic, Hindi, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Punjabi, Russian and Urdu
- Victim Notification Scheme - Guidance for Victims of Crime.
See here for more informaiton. - Victim Impact Statement - Guidance for Victims of Crime
See here for more information.
Additional Scottish Government resources:
- Information for Bereaved Families and Friends Following Murder or Culpable Homicide
- Information to assist victims folowing rape or sexual assault
- Victim’s Code for Scotland
Information on other publications which you might find helpful is available on the Scottish Government Victims and Witnesses publications page, and their After a crime: your rights page.