Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Act 2022

Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Act 2022

2022 asp 8

The Act: Overview

Part 5: Temporary Justice Measures

Overview

Section 55: Criminal procedure time limits: consequential modifications

205. This section makes permanent changes to the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (the “1995 Act”). The changes are needed in consequence of the modifications to that Act temporarily made by Chapter 1 of Part 5 of the schedule which makes provision to temporarily extend certain statutory time limits contained in the 1995 Act relating to criminal proceedings. The changes made by this section prevent references to those time limits elsewhere in the 1995 Act being falsified by the temporary changes. For example, section 65(3) of the 1995 Act refers to an 11 month period specified in section 65(1), which is being temporarily changed to a 17 month period. Rather than substitute the words “17 months” in place of “11 months” in section 65(3), section 55 of this Act adjusts it so that it refers only to the period specified in section 65(1). So adjusted, the terms of section 65(3) will be the same while the temporary adjustment to section 65(1) is in force and when it is not. Accordingly the modifications made by section 55 of this Act are permanent, despite being in consequence of substantive modifications that are only temporary in their effect.