2015 No. 378 (C. 47)

Court Of Session
Sheriff Appeal Court
Sheriff Court

The Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (Commencement No. 5, Transitional and Saving Provisions) Order 2015

Made

Laid before the Scottish Parliament

Coming into force

The Scottish Ministers make the following Order in exercise of the powers conferred by section 138(2) and (3) of the Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 20141 and all other powers enabling them to do so.

Citation, commencement and interpretation1

1

This Order may be cited as the Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (Commencement No. 5, Transitional and Saving Provisions) Order 2015 and comes into force on 1st January 2016.

2

In this Order—

  • the Act” means the Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014; and

  • “the 1907 Act” means the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 19072.

Appointed day2

1

Subject to paragraph (2), the day appointed for the coming into force of the provisions of the Act specified in column 1 of the table in the Schedule to this Order (the subject matter of which is specified in column 2 of that table) is 1st January 2016.

2

Where a purpose is specified in column 3 of the table in the Schedule, a provision specified in column 1 of that table comes into force only for that purpose.

Appeals – general3

Despite the repeal of sections 27 to 29 of the 1907 Act (appeals from sheriffs or sheriffs principal) by paragraph 4(e) of schedule 5 to the Act, those sections continue to apply—

a

to a decision of a sheriff made before 1st January 2016; and

b

to an appeal against a decision of a sheriff principal in an appeal under section 27 of the 1907 Act.

Appeals – summary causes4

In relation to a decision of a sheriff made on or after 1st January 2016, section 38 of the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 19713 (appeal in summary causes) applies as if the references to the sheriff principal were references to the Sheriff Appeal Court.

All-Scotland sheriff court: references to the Sheriff Appeal Court5

For article 8(1) of the Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (Commencement No. 3, Transitional and Saving Provisions) Order 20154 (all-Scotland sheriff court: references to the Sheriff Appeal Court), substitute—

1

Paragraphs (2) and (3) have effect in relation to any application made under section 69 or 71 of the Act before 1st January 2016.

PAUL WHEELHOUSEAuthorised to sign by the Scottish MinistersSt Andrew’s House,Edinburgh

SCHEDULEProvisions of the Act coming into force on 1st January 2016

Article 2

Column 1

Provisions of the Act

Column 2

Subject Matter

Column 3

Purpose

Sections 47 and 48

Sheriff Appeal Court – appeals and status of decisions in precedent

For all remaining purposes

Sections 109 to 112

Appeals to the Sheriff Appeal Court

Sections 113 and 114

Appeals to the Court of Session

Section 116

Effect of appeal

Section 132

Modifications of enactments

For the purpose of bringing into force the provisions of schedule 5 listed in column 1 below

The following provisions of schedule 5—

Modifications of enactments

Paragraph 4(e)

Repeal of sections 27 to 29 of the 1907 Act

Paragraph 12(2) and (3)

Amendment of the Administration of Justice (Scotland) Act 1972

Paragraph 13

Amendment of the Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments Act 1982

Paragraph 14(4)

Amendment of the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986

Paragraph 32(3)

Amendment of the Court of Session Act 1988

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order brings into force provisions of the Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (“the Act”). The provisions specified in column 1 of the table in the Schedule to the Order come into force on 1st January 2016. The subject matter of these provisions is set out in column 2 of the table, and where provisions are brought into force only for a limited purpose, this purpose is given in column 3.

Section 109 of the Act, which is brought into force by this Order with effect from 1st January 2016, abolishes appeals from the sheriff to the sheriff principal and provides for any such appeals to be heard instead by the Sheriff Appeal Court. Article 3 preserves the pre-existing statutory provisions for appeals from decisions of sheriffs or sheriffs principal in sections 27 to 29 of the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1907 (“the 1907 Act”), in relation to decisions of sheriffs before 1st January 2016. Where an appeal process begins before 1st January 2016 the 1907 Act provisions will apply in relation to any appeals to sheriffs principal or to the Inner House of the Court of Session.

Article 4 modifies the application of section 38 of the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971 (“the 1971 Act”) in relation to decisions of sheriffs on or after 1st January 2016 to refer to the Sheriff Appeal Court rather than to the sheriff principal (given the abolition of appeals from the sheriff to the sheriff principal by section 109 of the Act). (It is intended that the commencement of the repeal of section 38 of the 1971 Act by paragraph 6(2) of schedule 5 to the Act will coincide with the replacement of summary cause procedure by the new simple procedure provided for by sections 72 to 83 of the Act).

Article 5 preserves the transitory provision in article 8 of the Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (Commencement No. 3, Transitional and Saving Provisions) Order 2015 for cases where applications relating to Sheriff Personal Injury Court proceedings are made to the sheriff principal before 1st January 2016.

The Act received Royal Assent on 10th November 2014. Sections 133, 134(1) and (3) and 135 to 139 came into force the following day.

NOTE AS TO EARLIER COMMENCEMENT ORDERS

(This note is not part of the Order)

Provision

Date of Commencement

S.S.I.No.

Sections 1 to 4

1st April 2015

2015/77

Section 5 (partially)

1st April 2015

2015/77

Section 5 (for all remaining purposes)

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Sections 6 to 9

1st April 2015

2015/77

Section 10 (partially)

1st April 2015

2015/77

Section 10 (for all remaining purposes)

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Sections 11 to 15

1st April 2015

2015/77

Section 16(1) to (11)

1st April 2015

2015/77

Sections 17 to 22

1st April 2015

2015/77

Section 23(5)

12th March 2015

2015/77

Section 23 (for all remaining purposes)

1st April 2015

2015/77

Sections 24 and 25

1st April 2015

2015/77

Sections 27 to 38

1st April 2015

2015/77

Section 39 (partially)

1st April 2015

2015/77

Section 39 (for all remaining purposes)

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Sections 40 to 43

1st April 2015

2015/77

Sections 44 and 45

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Section 46 (partially)

1st April 2015

2015/77

Section 46 (for all remaining purposes)

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Sections 47 and 48 (partially)

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Sections 49 to 56

1st April 2015

2015/77

Section 57(1) and (2)

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Section 57(3) to (5)

1st April 2015

2015/77

Section 58

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Sections 59 to 62

1st April 2015

2015/77

Sections 63 to 71

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Section 72 (partially)

1st April 2015

2015/77

Sections 75 and 76

1st April 2015

2015/77

Section 79

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Section 81 (partially)

1st April 2015

2015/77

Section 86 (partially)

1st April 2015

2015/77

Sections 87 and 88

1st April 2015

2015/77

Section 89

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Sections 90 and 91

1st April 2015

2015/77

Sections 92 to 94

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Section 98

1st April 2015

2015/77

Section 99

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Section 102 (partially)

1st April 2015

2015/77

Sections 103 to 107

1st April 2015

2015/77

Section 108

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Section 115

1st April 2015

2015/77

Sections 117 and 118

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Section 119 (partially)

1st April 2015

2015/77

Section 119 (for all remaining purposes)

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Sections 120 to 122

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Section 123

1st April 2015

2015/77

Section 125

1st April 2015

2015/77

Section 127

1st April 2015

2015/77

Section 130 and paragraphs 1(1), (2), (6), (8) and (9) and 3(1) to (4) and (6) of schedule 4 (partially)

2nd February 2015

2015/12

Section 130 and schedule 4 (for all remaining purposes)

1st April 2015

2015/77

Section 131

1st April 2015

2015/77

Section 132 (for the purpose of bringing into force certain provisions of schedule 5)

1st April 2015

2015/77

Section 132 (for the purpose of bringing into force further provisions of schedule 5)

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Section 132 (for the purpose of bringing into force further provisions of schedule 5)

19th October 2015

2015/336

Section 134(2)

1st April 2015

2015/77

Schedule 1

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Schedule 2 (partially)

1st April 2015

2015/77

Schedule 2 (for all remaining purposes)

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Paragraphs 1 to 9, 10(1) to (3), (6) and (7), 11 to 21, 23, 24 and 26 of schedule 3

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Schedule 4

The following provisions of schedule 5—

Paragraphs 1 to 3

1st April 2015

2015/77

Paragraph 4(a) (partially)

1st April 2015

2015/77

Paragraph 4(a) (for all remaining purposes)

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Paragraphs 4(b) and (c)

1st April 2015

2015/77

Paragraph 4(f) (partially)

1st April 2015

2015/77

Paragraph 5

1st April 2015

2015/77

Paragraph 6(1) and (2) (partially)

1st April 2015

2015/77

Paragraph 6(1) and (2) (partially)

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Paragraph 7

1st April 2015

2015/77

Paragraph 8

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Paragraphs 9 to 11

1st April 2015

2015/77

Paragraph 12(1) and (4)

1st April 2015

2015/77

Paragraph 14(1) to (3)

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Paragraph 15

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Paragraph 16

1st April 2015

2015/77

Paragraph 17

19th October 2015

2015/336

Paragraph 18

1st April 2015

2015/77

Paragraph 19

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Paragraphs 24 and 25

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Paragraph 26

1st April 2015

2015/77

Paragraphs 28 to 31

1st April 2015

2015/77

Paragraph 32(1), (2) and (4)

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Paragraph 33

22nd September 2015

2015/247

Paragraph 34

1st April 2015

2015/77

Paragraphs 36 to 38

1st April 2015

2015/77

Paragraphs 42 to 45

1st April 2015

2015/77