The Scottish Government is hoping new software aimed at improving evidence sharing capabilities will "make a real difference" to victims.

In conjunction with the Scottish Prison Service, Crown Office and Police Scotland, the Government has began the tendering process for the project, which is estimated to cost £20m - according to the contract notice published online.

The new platform is aimed to allow police officers, prosecutors, defence lawyers and court staff to access evidence online and is hoped to speed up cases coming to court.

Under the current system, CCTV footage, video interviews and forensics need to be managed and transported physically.

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said: "We are taking action to improve the experiences of victims and witnesses at every stage of the criminal justice process.

"This change will make a real difference to the time taken for cases to come to 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."

Access to the evidence on the platform would be strictly limited to law enforcement, court staff and lawyers and will be fully monitored.