Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971

11 Secretary of State may appoint temporary sheriffs principal and sheriffs

(1) Where—

(a) the sheriff principal of any sheriffdom is by reason of illness or otherwise unable to perform his duties as sheriff principal, or

(b) a vacancy occurs in the office of sheriff principal of any sheriffdom,

the Secretary of State may, if it appears to him expedient so to do in order to avoid delay in the administration of justice in that sheriffdom, appoint a person (to be known as a temporary sheriff principal) to act as sheriff principal of the sheriffdom.

(2) Where as regards any sheriffdom—

(a) a sheriff is by reason of illness or otherwise unable to perform his duties as sheriff, or

(b) a vacancy occurs in the office of sheriff, or

(c) for any other reason it appears to the Secretary of State expedient so to do in .order to avoid delay in the administration of justice in that sheriffdom,

the Secretary of State may appoint a person (to be known as a temporary sheriff) to act as a sheriff for the sheriffdom.

(3) A person shall not be appointed to be a temporary sheriff principal or a temporary sheriff unless he is legally qualified, and has been so qualified—

(a) in the case of an appointment as a temporary sheriff principal, for at least ten years ;

(b) in the case of an appointment as a temporary sheriff, for at least five years.

For the purposes of this subsection, a person shall be legally qualified if he is an advocate or a solicitor.

(4) The appointment of a temporary sheriff principal or of a temporary sheriff shall subsist until recalled by the Secretary of State.

(5) If the Secretary of State, on appointing any person to be a temporary sheriff principal or a temporary sheriff, so directs, the provisions of section 6(1) of this Act shall apply in relation to that person as they apply in relation to a person holding the office of sheriff.

(6) A person appointed to be temporary sheriff principal of, or a temporary sheriff for, any sheriffdom shall for the purposes of his appointment, without the necessity of his receiving a commission in that behalf, have and be entitled to exercise the jurisdiction and powers attaching to the office of sheriff principal or, as the case may be, sheriff in that sheriffdom.

(7) The appointment of any person holding the office of sheriff to be a temporary sheriff principal shall not affect the commission held by that person as sheriff, but he shall not, while his appointment as a temporary sheriff principal subsists, perform any duties by virtue of the said commission.

(8) The Secretary of State may pay to any person appointed to be a temporary sheriff principal or a temporary sheriff such remuneration and allowances as the Treasury, on the recommendation of the Secretary of State, may determine.