South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth raised the matter with the Minister in the Scottish Parliament, before the news that mainland Scotland is to move to level 4 restrictions from Boxing Day for three weeks.
He said: “The reality is these plans will increase travel for some people.
“To propose a solution that asks people to travel from a level one area, Dumfries and Galloway, into what was a level four area at the time of the announcement, Ayr, is the height of irresponsibility.
“I appeal to the cabinet secretary to intervene to find a more local solution, even at this late stage.”
And he asked for, “at the very least”, a guarantee that it will not be a long term situation and that all sheriff and jury work will return to Dumfries and Stranraer.
Responding, Mr Yousaf said he was “listening carefully” and had already raised the issue with the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service.
|He confirmed the decision will be kept under review, adding: “The member will know that travel out of a level three or four area for the purposes of a jury trial is permitted under the regulations, but he is right that we would try to minimise that. I can give him an absolute assurance that jurors will be cited only from Ayr, so there should not be any jurors who are having to travel from Dumfries.
“With the agreement of the Crown, defence and the sheriff, and where it is agreed that it is appropriate, evidence can be heard remotely from Dumfries sheriff court.”
Speaking afterwards, Mr Smyth called for the plans to be reassessed as a matter of urgency.
He said: “Regardless of the imminent move to level four restrictions for the whole country, we should not be asking people to travel between low and high Covid prevalence areas.
“The courts service say that witnesses won’t need to travel and can be questioned via video link from Dumfries or Stranraer. It seems crazy to ask solicitors and the accused to travel to Ayr to then question people via video who are back in Dumfries and Galloway. I have spoken to local solicitors across the region and there is unanimous opposition to these plans.”
The politician pledged to continue to press for a rethink and said he has written again to the Justice Secretary and Courts Services.
