Current status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 19 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to fatal accident inquiries, how many people are currently employed in the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU) of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, and what the comparative figure was for the former unit for investigating deaths that the SFIU replaced.
The Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU) is one of a number of specialist units within COPFS which investigates deaths and may conduct Fatal Accident Inquiries. Current staffing figures are shown in the following table:
Legal & Case Preparer Staff | VIA (Victim Information & Advice) Staff | Administrative Staff | TOTAL | |
Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU) | 42 | 5 | 31 | 78 |
Health & Safety Investigation Unit (HSIU) | 25 | 4 | 5 | 34 |
Custody Deaths Unit (CDU) | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
COVID Deaths Investigation Team (CDIT) | 50 | 20 | 17 | 87 |
Staffing levels in these units have increased in recent years to reflect the importance of this area of work.
Prior to the commencement of SFIU in April 2012, deaths were primarily reported to Procurators Fiscal who would carry out investigations alongside their other core function of the prosecution of crime. It is therefore not possible to provide comparative staffing figures.