Courts may have to sit at weekends to prevent suspects from spending a "disproportionate" amount of time in detention cells, the Justice Secretary has suggested.
Kenny MacAskill has raised the prospect of weekend courts to ensure that no suspect spends longer than 12 hours in detention, but said this may have "financial implications".
The Scottish Government is seeking views in a consultation on how to implement recommendations of the recent Carloway Review of the investigation and prosecution of crime.
A key recommendation was the removal of the requirement for two separate sources of evidence to secure a conviction, known as corroboration.
Lord Carloway also made a raft of recommendations to reform arrest and detention, including the right to legal advice when taken into custody and a 12-hour limit on the period of arrest before charge.
Mr MacAskill said: "The changes proposed by Lord Carloway are far-reaching and radical. There may be more prosecutions in serious cases. There may be a need for weekend courts.
"In the current climate, we cannot ignore the financial implications of the proposed changes and detailed modelling work will be required. However, our focus is firmly upon the best structure for our legal system and modernising it for the future."
The review found some suspects detained on a Thursday morning were not bailed until the Monday evening, a situation described as "unacceptable".
The justice system should ensure "that suspects are not unnecessarily or disproportionately held in custody, especially over weekend periods".
The review stated: "If all of this means that a limited number of procurators fiscal, and possibly some defence agents and sheriff courts, have to operate at weekends and on public holidays, then, like all necessary public services, that is what must happen."
The costs of the reform "ought to be mitigated by savings in connection with releasing persons from custody and reducing weekday hours," it added.
The consultation will run until October 5.
Mr MacAskill said: "Many of the Carloway recommendations, particularly around access to a lawyer, arrest and appeals, have already met with broad agreement in principle, though the consultation asks key questions around points of detail. On corroboration, the consultation paper agrees that the requirement should be abolished.
"It reflects that the rationale for the rule stems from another age, that its usage has become confused and that it can bar prosecutions that would in any other legal system seem entirely appropriate. The focus of our consultation is on deciding how to best achieve abolition and what, if any, additional measures require to be taken as a consequence.
"Throughout Lord Carloway's report, there is a clear focus upon the overall quality of evidence above the application of outdated and technical rules. I am confident that in a system without a corroboration requirement we would continue to see police and prosecutors striving to find the best evidence that can practically be made available.
"Scottish judges and juries would continue to apply good judgement and would only convict on the basis of clear evidence. We all agree that our justice system as a whole needs to be fair and balanced. Lord Carloway has said that removing the requirement for corroboration does not upset that balance, but for those that do then the consultation provides a platform to tell us what they say needs to be done to redress this."
Bill McVicar, convener of the Law Society's criminal law committee, said: "We have grave concerns about the proposal to abolish the requirement for corroboration when there have been no corresponding proposals for safeguards to prevent potential miscarriages of justice.
"Corroboration has been a cornerstone of the Scottish criminal justice system since time immemorial and before such a radical step is taken, there would have to be an overwhelming case for change. In our opinion, such a case for change has not been made. Any change to the law in Scotland with regard to corroboration should form part of a full-scale review of Scottish criminal procedure."
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