The Scottish justice system is set for a radical shake-up with the establishment of a national data-sharing system.

The Scottish Government has launched the procurement process for a new Digital Evidence Sharing Capability (DESC), which could help police officers, prosecutors, court staff and defence agents to digitally access evidence in a more efficient and user-friendly manner.

Developed in collaboration with partners in the justice system, Holyrood believes the initiative has the potential to “significantly reduce” the costs involved in managing and transporting evidence such as CCTV footage, video interviews and forensic images.

Changing how digital evidence is collected, viewed and shared across the justice system could resolve cases faster and improve the experiences of both victims and witnesses.

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Commenting on the move, Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said the project will provide the groundwork for “further modernisation” of the criminal process in years to come.

“We are taking action to improve the experiences of victims and witnesses at every stage of the criminal justice process,” he said. “This change will make a real difference to the time taken for cases to come court, allowing those involved in criminal cases to move on with their lives sooner.

“Reducing delays is just one of the benefits of this project, which will make evidence sharing more cost-effective and provide the groundwork for further modernisation of the criminal process,” Yousaf added.

The project will place a strong focus on security, with digital evidence only accessible by approved personnel, such as police officers, fiscal staff and defence agents.

Access to information will be fully monitored and audited, the Scottish Government added, while data will be held in secure and approved facilities.