The Procurator Fiscal Office in Glasgow was officially opened recently following a major refurbishment.

First Minister Alex Salmond was joined at the opening by the Lord Advocate, Elish Angiolini QC, the Solicitor General, Frank Mulholland QC and Catherine Dyer, the Area Procurator Fiscal for Glasgow.

The office has been refurbished to provide an attractive, modern, open-plan working environment for staff and the public who attend. Facilities for visitors include a new reception area, a separate waiting area and a suite of interview rooms on each floor. There is also a vulnerable witness room designed for use in meetings with child witnesses, vulnerable witnesses and bereaved next of kin.

Mr Salmond said: "The Glasgow Procurator Fiscal Office is the powerhouse of the Crown Office, putting business through the busiest court in Europe - Glasgow Sheriff Court. Its refurbishment marks the modernisation of the Crown Office estate, at a time when we are also working to modernise our justice system - with the Criminal Proceedings Act making the law on bail clearer and more transparent, while our court reform programme is making the whole system swifter and more focused.

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"It is crucial that, in the interests of victims, witnesses and legal practitioners, we have the resources necessary to deliver effective justice. The new IT systems, improved interview facilities and the new vulnerable witnesses room this new office provides will allow services to meet the needs of those who rely on them. Together with our ongoing programme of reform they will ensure that our courts are supported by the best possible prosecution system, with fairness at its heart."

Elish Angiolini, the Lord Advocate said: "This refurbishment provides new interview facilities which will assist us when dealing with victims of crime and vulnerable witnesses, allowing us to help reduce the formality of proceedings.

"These modern, improved facilities are essential if we are to continue to provide the level of service the public deserve and expect," he added.

Glasgow is the largest of the COPFS Areas. Around 350 staff deal with 78,000 cases a year.

Glasgow accounts for over 30 per cent of the High Court cases in Scotland.

Cases are also dealt with in the Sheriff Court of Glasgow and Strathkelvin, which is one of the busiest courts in Europe, and at the District Courts at Glasgow, Rutherglen and Kirkintilloch.

It is the largest office in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal estate, putting business through Glasgow Sheriff Court, the busiest court in Europe.

(SP/JM)