District court customer charter

The District Court deals with a variety of criminal cases raised by the Procurator Fiscal. Independent lay Justices sit in Court supported by a legally qualified Clerk of Court. The independence of the Justices and the decisions made by them in Court are not affected by this Charter.

The Fines Office staff deal with payment of fines and fixed penalties and can answer any general enquiries related to the Court. They cannot, however, provide legal advice.

There are two Courts within the South Ayrshire Commission area located at:

29 New Bridge Street, Ayr - Telephone: 01292 617645
15 Knockcushan Street, Girvan.

The Court in Girvan is only open on days when the Court is sitting. Telephone enquiries should be directed to the Court in Ayr.

We have a team of courteous and experienced staff who will be happy to offer advice and assistance with any enquiries you may have.

When you contact us in writing we will:

Endeavour to deal with general correspondence within 5 working days of receipt.
We will also give you the name and contact telephone number of the person dealing with your correspondence.
Try to give you a full reply with as much information as possible.

When you contact us by telephone:

We will give our name and that of the District Court when answering the telephone.
We will try to deal with your telephone enquiry at the time or pass you to an Officer who can.
If the person you need to speak to is not available, you can choose to speak to someone else who can help.

When you visit the Fines Office we will:

Ensure that a trained member of staff assists you promptly.
Provide polite and helpful staff who will treat you with courtesy and respect.

You can expect us to:

Be courteous and professional at all times.
Give you as much information and immediate advice as possible.
Monitor and evaluate our performance.
Give you a quality service at all times.
Endeavour to provide clean, accessible public offices that ensure privacy, comply with occupational and safety standards and that facilitate access for disabled people and those with additional support needs.

Specific service standards

When you come to appear in or attend the District Court you will find:

Clear signs to help you find your way around.
Clean, adequate and comfortable accommodation.
Separate waiting rooms for Crown and Defence witnesses.
Staff available who can deal with your queries.

Witnesses

It is understood that coming to the District Court to give evidence can be worrying. The District Court aims to reduce these worries by providing comfortable accommodation and facilities and information when you need it. If you have a particular concern, you should inform the Court Officer on arrival at Court.

The District Court is not responsible for calling Crown witnesses to Court or for payment of their expenses. This responsibility lies with the Procurator Fiscal.

Identification of staff

All our staff are issued with identification cards, which they are expected to display prominently. The cards give the name, position and department of the cardholder and they also include a photograph.

Except where disclosure of their names might put safety at risk, public office staff will normally wear name badges.

Treating everyone fairly

Development, Safety and Regulation is committed to promoting equal opportunities for the community it serves.

What you can do to help

Keep us informed of any relevant changes in your personal circumstances.
Read information sent to you carefully and follow any instructions given.
Behave in a considerate and polite way to Court staff and other Court users.
Arrive in good time for any Court appearance or hearing.
Provide the information we ask for when we ask for it. This will help speed up the process.
Do not smoke within the Court buildings.
Please be patient as there will be times when we are exceptionally busy. We will however, make every effort to keep waiting times to a minimum.

What if I am not satisfied?

If you are unhappy with any aspect of our service, please contact us and we will try to resolve any problems quickly and explain what we have done and why.

If we do not respond satisfactorily, you can take your complaint further by using our feedback procedure.

You can get a leaflet titled 'Help Us To Get It Right' directly from ourselves or from any South Ayrshire Council office. Alternatively you can phone 0300 123 0900 or email customerservices@south-ayrshire.gov.uk. You can also use this procedure for comments, suggestions and complaints about other South Ayrshire Council Services.

Any suggestions?

We hope you will find this information helpful and that we continue to meet the standards we have set. Please let us know what you think by using our feedback procedure or by contacting us directly at the address below.

How and when you can phone or visit us?

We are based at: 29 New Bridge Street, Ayr

Telephone: 01292 617645

Opening hours for general enquiries:
Monday Thursday: 8.45am - 4.45pm
Friday: 8.45am - 4pm.

Opening hours for payment of fines:
Monday Thursday: 8.45am - 4pm
Friday: 8.45am - 3.15pm