Criminal Appeal Court to livestream cases in Scottish first 

The Criminal Appeal Court is set to become Scotland’s first criminal court to offer a regular livestreaming service, in a bid to improve openness and transparency. 

Members of the public will be able to follow cases online via the Criminal Appeal Court Live service from later this week.  

The first case to be open to online viewers will take place this Saturday morning.  

It is an appeal in a trial that has been postponed three times since 2023 and involves an individual who has been charged with several offences against two children.  

“This is an important step in ensuring that justice can be seen to be done in today’s digitally driven world”, the Lord Justice General, Lord Pentland, said. 

Initially scheduled to take place in November 2023, the trial was later moved to September 2024 and June 2025 but was adjourned each time due to insufficient court capacity.  

The appellant is challenging the sheriff’s decision to push the trial starting day limit to early October. 

Lord Pentland said: “The principle of open justice is fundamental to our legal system and, indeed, the stability of our country. It helps secure the efficient and impartial administration of justice and supports public confidence in and respect for the rule of law. 

“The launch of Criminal Appeal Court Live is the latest initiative to be introduced as part of our commitment to this important principle and I’m pleased to open up the court to a much wider, online audience."

The service aims to ease the access to court process for interested parties such as media, academics and students. 

At first the livestream service will feature appeals against conviction and prosecution appeals against sentence, with a view to all appeals set to be eventually being livestreamed. 

Where appropriate, the hearings will also be available on demand, allowing viewers to catch-up with cases at a time convenient to them. 

Malcolm Graham, Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service chief executive, said: “The new service will allow greater public understanding of appeal cases and provide a means for complainers and other court users to view proceedings without the need to attend court – either live as it happens or at a later stage. 

“This is a strong example of how technology can improve access for those who use or have an interest in our courts, and I am very thankful to everyone involved in this initiative for their hard work in developing it.” 

The announcement follows on from the Court of Session introducing its livestreaming service over two years ago. The system has streamed 68 hearings since its launch and attracted more than 5,000 viewers at a time.