A trial alcohol court project is being established at Glasgow Sheriff Court. This will be a court specifically designed to deal with people convicted on summary complaint where alcohol has significantly contributed to their offending.
The Court will be held by Sheriff Fleming and will be a step in the right direction following the success of the Drugs court which has been held since 2001. A similar project is already in operation in Edinburgh since 2016 and has been working well.
It will deal with charges involving violence or dishonesty; public order offences; or drink driving offences. At the outset it will not deal with domestic elements and it will target those under 35. It will allow the sheriff to call for an Alcohol Court Assessment Report and defer sentence to the next suitable alcohol court. Its aim is to allow targeted help and worthwhile punishments for these type of offenses.