14Prevention of delay in trials
(1)For section 101 of the 1975 Act there shall be substituted the following section—
“101Prevention of delay in trials.
(1)An accused shall not be tried on indictment for any offence unless such trial is commenced within a period of 12 months of the first appearance of that accused on petition in respect of that offence; and. failing such commencement within that period, the accused shall be discharged forthwith and thereafter he shall be for ever free from all question or process for that offence:
Provided that—
(i)nothing in this subsection shall bar the trial of an accused for whose arrest a warrant has been granted for failure to appear at a diet in the case ;
(ii)on application made for the purpose, the sheriff or, where an indictment has been served on the accused in respect of the High Court, a single judge of that court, may on cause shown extend the said period of 12 months.
(2)Subject to subsections (3), (4) and (5) below, an accused who is committed for any offence until liberated in due course of law shall not be detained by virtue of that committal for a total period of more than—
(a)80 days, unless within that period the indictment is served on him, which failing he shall be liberated forthwith; or
(b)110 days, unless the trial of the case is commenced within that period, which failing he shall be liberated forthwith and thereafter he shall be for ever free from all question or process for that offence.
(3)A single judge of the High Court may, on application made to him for the purpose, for any sufficient cause extend the period mentioned in subsection (2)(a) above:
Provided that he shall not extend the said period if he is satisfied that, but for some fault on the part of the prosecution, the indictment could have been served within that period.
(4)A single judge of the High Court may, on application made to him for the purpose, extend the period mentioned in subsection (2) (b) above where he is satisfied that delay in the commencement of the trial is due to—
(a)the illness of the accused or of a judge;
(b)the absence or illness of any necessary witness; or
(c)any other sufficient cause which is not attributable to any fault on the part of the prosecutor.
(5)The grant or refusal of any application to extend the periods mentioned in this section may be appealed against by note of appeal presented to the High Court; and that Court may affirm, reverse or amend the determination made on such application.
(6)For the purposes of this section, a trial shall be taken to commence when the oath is administered to the jury.”.
(2)After section 331 of the 1975 Act there shall be inserted the following section—
“331APrevention of delay in trials.
(1)Subject to subsections (2) and (3) below, a person charged with a summary offence shall not be detained in that respect for a total of more than forty days after the bringing of the complaint in court unless his trial is commenced within that period, failing which he shall be liberated forthwith and thereafter he shall be for ever free from all question or process for that offence.
(2)The sheriff may, on application made to him for the purpose, extend the period mentioned in subsection (1) above and order the accused to be detained awaiting trial for such period as he thinks fit where he is satisfied that delay in the commencement of the trial is due to—
(a)the illness of the accused or of a judge ;
(b)the absence or illness of any necessary witness; or
(c)any other sufficient cause which is not attributable to any fault on the part of the prosecutor.
(3)The grant or refusal of any application to extend the period mentioned in subsection (1) above may be appealed against by note of appeal presented to the High Court; and that Court may affirm, reverse or amend the determination made on such application.
(4)For the purposes of this section, a trial shall be taken to commence when the first witness is sworn.”.