About District Courts

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The role, function and operation of District Courts within the court hierarchy in Scotland.

Each local authority must:

appoint and employ an officer to act as Clerk to the District Courts who must also act as Legal Assessor, providing legal services to the lay Justices
provide suitable and sufficient premises for the purposes of the District Courts

Subject to approval of the First Minister, an authority may also appoint Stipendiary Magistrates to serve in the Court. Glasgow is the only Council in Scotland to have made such appointments.

Although the local authority provides staffing and other facilities to the District Court, Judges’ decisions are independent of the Council.

The role of District Courts is established through the District Courts (Scotland) Act 1975 as amended. The District Court is the first rung of the court hierarchy in Scotland, dealing only with summary criminal matters. In summary procedure the Judge sits on his own but in solemn procedure the Judge sits with a Jury.

The District Court is a lay court where a Justice of the Peace (JP) who is a lay person sits with a legally qualified clerk. The only exception to this is the Stipendiary Magistrate courts in Glasgow District Court , where the stipendiary magistrate sits on his/her own and is legally qualified (having the same powers as a Sheriff who is sitting summarily).

Both types of Judge deal with:

assault
theft
vandalism
fraud
road traffic
other statutory offences

Lay Justices of the Peace can:

make Probation Orders and Supervised Attendance Orders
impose fines
give compensation to victims up to £2,500
impose prison sentences up to 60 days
undertake a number of signing duties, including:
- signing Warrants
- countersigning a range of legal documents
- character references if the applicant is personally known to the Justice

Councillor Justices and Justices over 70 years old are not allowed to sign any kind of Warrant.

Only Justices who have received full training for Court duties are permitted to serve on the District Court Bench.

Stipendiary Magistrates are full time, permanent legally qualified Judges and can:

impose fines
give compensation to victims up to £5,000
impose prison sentences of up to 6 months
make:
- Probation Orders
- Supervised Attendance Orders
- Community Service Orders
- Drug Treatment and Testing Orders
- Restriction of Liberty Orders (Electronic Tagging)

Only the Stipendiary Magistrate can deal with:

theft by housebreaking
assault where limbs are fractured
uttering of cheques

The offences must take place within the geographical jurisdiction of the local government area.

For more information about District Courts, including information for unrepresented accused conducting their own trial, please see the District Courts Association website.

Sheriff Court

There are certain offences which cannot be heard in the District Court but must go to the Sheriff Court. The Sheriff Courts are the next level in the court hierarchy and these are managed collectively by the Scottish Court Service. For more information about Glasgow or other Sheriff Courts or the High Court (dealing with serious crime and with Appeals from other criminal Courts including District Courts) please access the Scottish Courts website.

Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service provides Scotland's independent public prosecution and deaths investigation service, and is the body responsible for calling witnesses and accused persons to the court.

For more information about the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service please use the link below.

Glasgow District Court

There are four appointed Stipendiary Magistrates in Glasgow and eight court rooms. Normal sitting arrangements are for four Stipendiary courts and up to four Justice courts.

Key Information about Glasgow District Court:

Glasgow District Court

21 St Andrews Street

Glasgow

G1 5PW

Phone: 0141 287 2000

Fax: 0141 552 7895

Clerk of the Court - Patricia Wallace

Phone: 0141 287 2000

E-mail: patricia.wallace@ced.glasgow.gov.uk

Chairman of Justices Committee - Thomas M Jess JP

Office Hours - Fines: 9.30am - 4.00pm

Office Hours - General: 8.30am - 4.45pm

Court Sitting Days: Monday - Friday, 9.30am and 2.00pm

Court Sitting Days (Court 1): Monday - Friday, 10.00am and 2.00pm, and on some local holidays.

List of current Glasgow Justices of the Peace

Fines

One of the outcomes of the trial may be a court imposed fine.

Glasgow District Court also deals with Fixed Penalties offered by the Police and/or the Procurator Fiscal. Staff collect the Penalties, endorse Driving Licenses (where applicable) and inform the Police/Procurator Fiscal of the result.

Almost all parking tickets in Glasgow are now administered by the Council’s Financial Services and not by the District Court.

There are different options for payment of fines. Details are as follows: