Amendment of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995
2.—(1) The Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 is amended as follows.
(2) In section 75C (refixing diets: non-suitable days)()—
(a)subsection (2) is repealed;
(b)in subsection (3), for “subsections (1) and (2)” substitute “subsection (1)”.
(3) After section 83 (transfer of sheriff court solemn proceedings)() insert—
“Transfer of sheriff court solemn proceedings within sheriffdom: power of sheriff principal
83ZA. Where, because of exceptional circumstances which could not reasonably have been foreseen, it is not practicable for a sheriff court in a sheriffdom to proceed with some or all of the proceedings on indictment due to call at a diet, the sheriff principal may, of the sheriff principal’s own accord, make an order for—
(a)the transfer of the proceedings to a sheriff court in any other district in that sheriffdom; and
(b)adjournment to a diet of that court.”.
(4) After section 137A (transfer of sheriff court summary proceedings within sheriffdom)() insert—
“Transfer of sheriff court summary proceedings within sheriffdom: power of sheriff principal
137AA. Where, because of exceptional circumstances which could not reasonably have been foreseen, it is not practicable for a sheriff court in a sheriffdom to proceed with some or all of the summary cases due to call at a diet, the sheriff principal may, of the sheriff principal’s own accord, make an order for—
(a)the transfer of the proceedings to a sheriff court in any other district in that sheriffdom; and
(b)adjournment to a diet of that court.”.
(5) Subsection (2) of section 137ZB (refixing diets: non-suitable days) () is repealed.