Ms Jamieson said: "They are designed to help ease the process for the law-abiding many, rather than for the convenience of the law breaking few.

"Fair for victims. Fair for witnesses. Fair for jurors; while upholding the right to a fair trial for the accused.

We need our courts to focus on the real issue of guilt or innocence, rather than around the procedural headaches Cathy Jamieson, Justice Minister

"We need our courts to focus on the real issue of guilt or innocence, rather than around the procedural headaches of adjournments and delays.

"It is simply wrong that a victim or witness builds themselves up for a first day in court only to find that the trial cannot start for procedural reasons."

The lord advocate added that the system was designed to be fair and supportive of victims and witnesses.

Welcoming the white paper, David McKenna, chief executive of Victim Support Scotland said: "Each year 12,000 victims and witnesses are called to the High Court.

"Many suffer delays and postponements causing real distress and upset. Some never get to give their evidence.

Case delays

"This white paper is a crucial step towards fair justice for victims as well as the accused."

Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish National Party justice spokeswoman, welcomed many of the reforms but said there was no justification for changes to the 110 day rule.

She said: ""In my view, no case has been made to extend the 110 day rule, and this proposal runs against the grain of the white paper's central objective which is to speed up the administration of justice, not slow it down.

"The purpose of the time limit is to prevent injustice and ensure that the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service prepare cases quickly."

Nicola Sturgeon: 110 day rule concerns

Tory spokeswoman Annabel Goldie said: "There is no reason why cases cannot be brought to trial within that period.

"If inadequacy of resource is preventing the police and prosecution services from doing that, the answer is to look at resource - not to interfere with a perfectly workable structure.

The case which caused the outburst from Lord Bonomy involved two Aberdeen men who were due to face assault and robbery charges in January last year.

Lord Bonomy was told the case could not proceed as one of the accused was due to go into hospital.

The judge told the court he was almost ashamed to be part of a system allowing this to happen.

This white paper is a crucial step towards fair justice for victims as well as the accused. David McKenna, Victim Support Scotland

He said: "What we are participating in seems to me very close to the style of a Whitehall farce."

It summed up the chronic state of the management of High Court business, Lord Bonomy added.

Earlier this month the introduction of a new computer system by Strathclyde Police was blamed for a huge rise in potential prosecutions being dropped.

The number of reported offences in which no proceedings were taken rose to more than 17,000 in 2002.

It prompted the Scottish Tories to label Scotland "a law breakers paradise".