DG JUSTICE
Justice Analytical Services Division
Economists in the Justice Analytical Services Division (ASD), working together with statisticians and social researchers, provide a multi-disciplinary analytical resource for all Justice Directorates. The overarching aim of the ASD is to support policy development, implementation and review by providing appropriate and relevant evidence, advice and analysis through an integrated approach.
The three economists within the Division each work in separate analytical teams, serving the following policy groups:
- Police & Community Safety
- Civil & International
- Court Affairs & Offenders
Across these policy groups, key work streams involving ASD economists include:
- Police activity, performance, efficiency, and funding
- The economic aspects of drugs policy and anti-social behaviour policy
- Competition policy in the market for legal services and Access to Justice
- Publicly funded legal assistance (legal aid) reimbursement design, provision and forecasting
- Evaluation and costing of the civil courts, including the estimation of costs and benefits of processes and outcomes
- Cost-benefit analysis of non-court resolution mechanisms such as tribunals and mediation
- Support towards the National & Local Criminal Justice Boards, with the intention of making the Scottish Criminal Justice System more efficient and effective
- Support for Summary Justice reform
- Improving the costing of disposals, particularly community sentences
- Advice on the evaluation and monitoring of pilots and policies
The economists within ASD also work collectively on corporate aspects of financial planning and economic forecasting.