Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014

27 Sheriff principal’s responsibility for efficient disposal of business in sheriff courts

(1) The sheriff principal of a sheriffdom is responsible for ensuring the efficient disposal of business in the sheriff courts of the sheriffdom.

(2) The sheriff principal must make such arrangements as appear necessary or expedient for the purpose of carrying out the responsibility imposed by subsection (1).

(3) In particular, the sheriff principal may—

(a) provide for the allocation of business among the judiciary of the sheriffdom,

(b) make special provision of a temporary nature for the disposal of any business by any member of the judiciary of the sheriffdom in addition to or in place of that member’s own duties.

(4) If, in carrying out the responsibility imposed by subsection (1), the sheriff principal gives a direction of an administrative character to a person mentioned in subsection (5), the person must comply with the direction.

(5) Those persons are—

(a) any other member of the judiciary of the sheriffdom,

(b) a member of the staff of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service.

(6) Nothing in subsections (1) to (4) enables a member of the judiciary of the sheriffdom to dispose of any business which that member could not otherwise competently dispose of in the exercise of the jurisdiction and powers that attach to the member’s office.

(7) Subsections (1) to (4) are subject to section 2(2)(a) and (3) of the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008 (the Head of the Scottish Judiciary’s responsibility for efficient disposal of business in the Scottish courts).