Procurator fiscal Job Information | National Careers Service

Job profiles

Procurator fiscal

Hours

37 per week
Starting salary

£27,300 + per year

The work

Procurators fiscal are qualified lawyers who are responsible for prosecuting crime in Scotland. They also investigate sudden and suspicious deaths, and conduct fatal accident enquiries.

The work involves:

receiving reports of crime from the police and other agencies
reviewing evidence and deciding whether or not to prosecute
preparing cases for court
taking witness statements
conducting prosecutions in court
enquiring into sudden or suspicious deaths or fatal accidents
attending scenes of crimes
investigating complaints made against the police
communicating with the police and other criminal justice agencies.

District procurators fiscal and their deputes prosecute cases in all courts except the High Court of Judiciary. They work closely with Crown Counsel or Advocates Depute.

Hours

You would work 37 hours a week, Monday to Friday. You would also be on an 'on call' rota over evenings and weekends.

You would be based in a district office, and also travel around your district to attend court and the scenes of crimes and accidents. You would need to wear a gown when in court.

Income

Salaries for fiscal deputes are between £27,300 and £33,600 a year.
Senior staff like area procurators fiscal can earn up to £56,000 a year.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry requirements

All procurators fiscal are qualified solicitors in the Scottish legal system. To become a solicitor in Scotland, you must complete two stages of training – you must first meet certain academic standards and then pass vocational training.

You can meet the academic standards by gaining one of the following:

an LLB degree in Scots law (check with universities for entry requirements), or
a three-year pre-diploma training contract with a Scottish solicitor, followed by passing exams from the Law Society of Scotland.

Once you have satisfied the academic requirements, you must complete the vocational stage of training, which involves:

the 26-week Diploma in Legal Practice (DLP)
a two-year post-diploma training contract with a practising solicitor (this could be through a Legal Traineeship with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service).

See the Law Society of Scotland’s website for more details about qualifying as a solicitor.

Training and development

If you join the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service as a trainee solicitor, you will follow a highly structured training programme. In your first year you will work in the Crown Office in Edinburgh. In your second year, you will work as a procurator fiscal depute in one of the district offices, under guidance from senior colleagues.

COPFS typically offers around 25 two-year Legal Traineeships each year and competition is strong.

You could also join COPFS as a procurator fiscal depute if you are already a qualified solicitor, and shadow experienced staff as you gain experience of prosecutions.

Skills and knowledge

logical and analytical thinking
attention to detail
good organisational and time management skills
excellent written and spoken communication skills
the ability to explain the law clearly and put people at ease
public speaking ability
the ability to work well under pressure and handle several cases at the same time
willingness to make decisions that will affect others.

More information

Skills for Justice (Opens new window)
Centre Court
Atlas Way
Sheffield
S4 7QQ
www.skillsforjustice.com

Policing Professional Framework (PPF) (Opens new window)
www.skillsforjustice.com/PPF

Law Society of Scotland (Opens new window)
26 Drumsheugh Gardens
Edinburgh
EH3 7YR
Tel: 0131 226 7411
www.lawscot.org.uk

Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (Opens new window)
25 Chambers Street
Edinburgh
EH1 1LA
www.copfs.gov.uk

Opportunities

You will be employed by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, and work in one of the 48 district offices across Scotland, or in the Crown Office. There are around 400 procurators fiscal and deputes in Scotland.

There is a well-defined career structure with different grades of procurator fiscal. Competition can be strong for promotion to higher grades. You may need to move to other areas of Scotland to gain wider experience.

Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.

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Related industry information

Industry summary

The prosecution service is part of the justice sector, which is represented by Skills for Justice Sector Skills Council. It includes: forensic science; police and law enforcement; courts and tribunals; custodial care; community justice; plus fire and rescue services. The sector works to create and maintain a safe, just and stable society. Its purpose is to reduce crime and re‐offending, promote confidence in the criminal justice system, protect people and contribute to the reduction and fear of crime, and support the administration of justice. The sector employs around 600,000 employees in the UK across a range of organisations operating with different remits.

The prosecution service operates in:

Crown Prosecution Service (England and Wales)
Crown Office of the Procurator Fiscal (Scotland)
Public Prosecution Service (Northern Ireland)
Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office (remit extends across the UK)

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the Government Department responsible for prosecuting criminal cases investigated by the police in England and Wales. As the principal prosecuting authority in England and Wales, it is responsible for: advising the police on cases for possible prosecution; reviewing cases submitted by the police; where the decision is to prosecute, determining the charge (in all but minor cases); preparing cases for court; and the presenting cases at court.

Key facts:

In total there are 11,258 people working in prosecution services across the UK, of which:
- over 8,730 are employed by the Crown Prosecution Service, including around 2,800 lawyers
- 323 are employed in Revenue and Customs Prosecution Service
Just over 1.3 million cases are heard in Magistrates’ courts and another 115,000 in Crown Court.
The Crown Prosecution Service consists of 39 offices in England headed by a Chief Crown Prosecutor.
67% of the Crown Prosecution Service is female and 12% are from a minority ethnic background.
Women across the justice sector as a whole tend to be concentrated in support roles.

Jobs in the industry range from: Legal trainees, Prosecutors, Caseworkers, Administrators, Crown Advocates, Witness Care Officer, Associate Prosecutor.

National and regional data

The East Midlands has 5 CPS Area Offices, which employ 590 full‐time equivalent staff. The five area offices are: Derbyshire; Leicestershire; Lincolnshire; Northamptonshire; and Nottinghamshire.

The East of England has 6 area offices that employ 610 full‐time equivalent staff. The offices are: Bedfordshire; Cambridgeshire; Essex; Hertfordshire; Norfolk; and Suffolk.

London has 2 Area Offices, which together employ approximately 2,160 full‐time equivalent staff, making it the largest CPS region. Additionally, the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office employs 323 staff, which is split between London and Manchester.

The North East has 3 Area Offices, which employ 460 full‐time equivalent staff. The three offices are: Cleveland; Durham; and Northumbria.

The North West has 5 Area Offices that employ 1,240 full‐time equivalent staff. The five offices are: Cheshire; Cumbria; Greater Manchester; Lancashire; and Merseyside. Additionally, the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office employs 323 staff, which is split between London and Manchester. The North West is the second largest region behind London.

The South East has 5 Area Offices that employ 890 full‐time equivalent staff. The five offices are: Hampshire; Kent; Surrey; Sussex; and Thames Valley.

The South West has 5 Area Offices that employ 530 full‐time equivalent staff. The five forces are: Avon and Somerset; Devon and Cornwall; Dorset; Gloucestershire; and Wiltshire.

The West Midlands has 4 Area Offices that employ 870 full‐time equivalent staff. The four offices are: Staffordshire; Warwickshire; West Midlands; and West Mercia.

Yorkshire and Humberside has 4 Area Offices that employ 910 full‐time equivalent staff, the third largest region in England. The four Area Offices are: Humberside; North Yorkshire; South Yorkshire; and West Yorkshire.

The Northern Ireland Public Prosecution Service (PPSNI) was formally launched in 2005. The service is regionally based and employs 562 staff, of which 165 are lawyers. There is an expected replacement demand of 25% due to retirements by 2014. The following skill shortages have been identified: provision of experience for prosecutors; management skills for lawyers; potential impact of devolution; and management skills development.

In Scotland, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) provide independent public prosecution and deaths investigation service. It is a department of the Scottish Government and is headed by the Lord Advocate. The Procurator Fiscal Service is divided into 11 areas, with an Area Procurator Fiscal for each. There is a network of 48 Procurator Fiscal offices, one for each Sheriff Court district. It employs 1,520 staff of which 30% are legal staff. The following skill shortages have been identified: increased partnership working; leadership and management; and keeping up with legislative change.

In Wales, the Crown Prosecution Service employs over 470 full‐time equivalent staff over four Areas Offices, including: Dyfed Powys; North Wales; Gwent; and South Wales.