Procurator Fiscal

The Procurator Fiscal is the public prosecutor in Scotland who decides whether to prosecute a crime reported by the police.

The Procurator Fiscal, often just called the fiscal or PF, is a legally qualified prosecutor employed by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS). When police report a crime, the fiscal, not the police, decides what happens next. The options include taking no action, offering an alternative to prosecution such as a fiscal warning or fiscal fine, referring the person for diversion, or prosecuting in court. In deciding, the fiscal considers whether there is enough admissible evidence, including corroboration, and whether action is in the public interest. The fiscal also chooses the court and whether the case goes ahead under summary or solemn procedure. Procurators fiscal also investigate sudden or suspicious deaths and allegations of criminal conduct by police officers. They are independent of the police.

Checked as at 25 September 2026. General information only, not legal advice.