Act of Sederunt (Fatal Accident Inquiry Rules) 2017

1. Introductory Text

2. PART 1 CITATION, COMMENCEMENT AND INTERPRETATION, ETC.

   1. 1.1. Citation and commencement, etc.

   2. 1.2. Interpretation

   3. 1.3. Periods of time

   4. 1.4. Forms

   5. 1.5. Miscellaneous and general matters

3. PART 2 OVERVIEW

   1. 2.1. The structure of an inquiry

   2. 2.2. The inquiry principles

   3. 2.3. Taking into account the inquiry principles

   4. 2.4. Representation and support

   5. 2.5. Judicial continuity

   6. 2.6. The inquiry management powers

4. PART 3 PRE-INQUIRY PROCEDURE

   1. 3.1. First notice

   2. 3.2. First order

   3. 3.3. Notice of the inquiry

   4. 3.4. Public notice of the inquiry

   5. 3.5. Other participation

   6. Preliminary hearings

      1. 3.6. Purpose of preliminary hearings

      2. 3.7. Before the first preliminary hearing

      3. 3.8. Procedure

5. PART 4 INFORMATION

   1. 4.1. The law of evidence

   2. 4.2. The information management powers

   3. Witnesses and productions

      1. 4.3. Citation of witnesses

      2. 4.4. Gathering information

      3. 4.5. Oath and affirmation

      4. 4.6. Lodging productions

      5. 4.7. Witness lists

      6. 4.8. Recording of the inquiry

      7. 4.9. Vulnerable witnesses

   4. Agreeing information

      1. 4.10. Joint minutes of agreement

      2. 4.11. The duty to agree information

      3. 4.12. Notices to admit information

      4. 4.13. Witness statements

      5. 4.14. Video recordings

   5. Expert witnesses

      1. 4.15. Instructing expert witnesses

      2. 4.16. Information presented by expert witnesses

      3. 4.17. Minute of questions

      4. 4.18. Single expert witnesses

      5. 4.19. Concurrent presentation of expert witnesses

6. PART 5 THE INQUIRY

   1. 5.1. Procedure

7. PART 6 THE SHERIFF’S DETERMINATION

   1. 6.1. Form of determination

   2. 6.2. Form of response

   3. 6.3. Form of notice

8. PART 7 FURTHER INQUIRY PROCEEDINGS

   1. 7.1. Form of notice

9. Signature

10. 1. SCHEDULE 1

       APPLICATIONS

       1. 1. Interpretation

       2. 2. Making of applications

       3. 3. Written applications

       4. 4. Intimation of applications in writing

       5. 5. Opposition to applications in writing

       6. 6. Consent to applications in writing

       7. 7. Lodging of applications in writing

       8. 8. Joint applications in writing

       9. 9. Hearing of opposed applications in writing

    2. SCHEDULE 2

       INTIMATION

       1. PART 1 Intimation within Scotland

          1. 1. Interpretation

          2. 2. Intimation

          3. 3. Methods of intimation

          4. 4. Methods of intimation: intimation by recorded delivery

          5. 5. Methods of intimation: intimation by sheriff officer

          6. 6. Additional methods of intimation where receiving participant represented by solicitor

          7. 7. Form of certificate of intimation

       2. PART 2 Intimation furth of Scotland

          1. 8. Interpretation of this Part

          2. 9. Intimation furth of Scotland

          3. 10. Service in England and Wales etc.

          4. 11. Service in an EU member State

          5. 12. Service in a Hague Convention country

          6. 13. Service in a country with which the United Kingdom has a convention about how to serve court documents

          7. 14. Service in any other country

          8. 15. Consular service

          9. 16. Personal service

          10. 17. Postal service

          11. 18. Certification of translations

    3. SCHEDULE 3

       FORMS

    4. SCHEDULE 4

       MISCELLANEOUS AND GENERAL MATTERS

       1. 1. Lodging

       2. 2. Live links

       3. Reporting restrictions

          1. 3. Reporting restrictions: interpretation and application

          2. 4. Interim orders: notification to interested persons

          3. 5. Interim orders: representations

          4. 6. Notification of reporting restrictions

          5. 7. Applications for variation or revocation

       4. The style of oath and affirmation

          1. 8. Oaths

          2. 9. Affirmations

       5. Interventions

          1. 10. Interventions by the Commission for Equality and Human Rights and the Scottish Commission for Human Rights

          2. 11. Applications to intervene

          3. 12. Determination of applications

          4. 13. Invitations to intervene

          5. 14. Form of intervention

       6. Lay representation and support

          1. 15. Lay representation: applications

          2. 16. Lay representation: functions, conditions and duties

          3. 17. Lay support: application

          4. 18. Lay support: functions, conditions and duties

       7. Lay representation for non-natural persons

          1. 19. Interpretation

          2. 20. Lay representation of non-natural persons at inquiries

          3. 21. Applications for authorisation of lay representatives for non-natural persons

          4. 22. Lay representation of non-natural persons: functions, conditions and duties

    5. SCHEDULE 5

       GATHERING INFORMATION

       1. 1. Application of this schedule

       2. 2. Confidentiality

       3. 3. Warrants for production of original documents from public records

       4. 4. Applications for commission and diligence

       5. 5. Optional procedure before executing commission and diligence

       6. 6. Execution of commission and diligence

       7. 7. Letters of request

       8. 8. Information given on commission

       9. 9. Testimony by commissioner: interrogatories

       10. 10. Testimony by commissioner: conduct of commission

       11. 11. Testimony by commissioner: lodging and custody of video record and documents

       12. 12. Taking of evidence in the EU

    6. SCHEDULE 6

       VULNERABLE WITNESSES

       1. 1. Interpretation and application of this schedule

       2. 2. Form of notices and applications

       3. 3. Determination of notices and applications

       4. 4. Determination of notices and applications: supplementary orders

       5. 5. Intimation of orders

       6. 6. Testimony by commissioner: preparatory steps

       7. 7. Testimony by commissioner: interrogatories

       8. 8. Testimony by commissioner: conduct of commission

       9. 9. Testimony by commissioner: lodging and custody of video record and documents

11. Explanatory Note