Customer Charters
District Court
Who Are We?
The Department of Development, Safety and Regulation
covers a range of services that influences the way we live, work and play.
Most functions within the Department have a regulatory role, which is designed to
ensure that the environment in which we live is as safe as it can be.
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 Council 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
the South Ayrshire Council's
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 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 the Council's
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