The Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2016 (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2017

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These regulations make consequential changes to the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (“the 1995 Act”) in relation to the reform of solemn procedure in the sheriff court provided for in Part 3 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2016. These amendments reflect in particular the change in solemn procedure in the sheriff court which requires the court to appoint trial diets at first diets (when previously the prosecutor would have done so at the stage of indictment).

Regulation 3 makes transitional provision in relation to section 81(4) of the 1995 Act to ensure that that section operates in relation to cases which have, before these Regulations came into force, been indicted to both a first diet and a trial diet by the prosecutor. Regulation 4 makes transitional provision in relation to section 81(5)(a)(ii) of the 1995 Act to ensure that the court is not required at a first diet to appoint a trial diet in cases which have been indicted, and a trial diet appointed, before these Regulations came into force (and specifies that if the court does appoint a trial diet at a first diet in such cases, and previously appointed trial diet is discharged).