The courts operated under summary procedure and dealt primarily with minor criminal offences.

[3][4] The district courts was abolished in a rolling programme between 10 March 2008 and 22 February 2010, following the passage of the Criminal Proceedings etc.

[7] The district courts were replaced by justice of the peace courts by a series of Scottish statutory instruments as follows: They handled many cases of breach of the peace, minor assaults, petty theft, and offences under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.

Their sentencing powers of lay justices were limited to a fine in excess of £2,500 or imprisonment of up to 60 days.

[14] In Glasgow, the volume of business required the employment of four solicitors as stipendiary magistrates who sit in place of the lay justices.