Part I Criminal Courts
Jurisdiction and Powers
Territorial jurisdiction: general
11 Certain offences committed outside Scotland.
1
Any F5relevant person who in a country outside the United Kingdom does any act or makes any omission which if done or made in Scotland would constitute the crime of murder or of culpable homicide shall be guilty of the same crime and subject to the same punishment as if the act or omission had been done or made in Scotland.
2
Any F2relevant person employed in the service of the Crown who, in a foreign country, when acting or purporting to act in the course of his employment, does any act or makes any omission which if done or made in Scotland would constitute an offence punishable on indictment shall be guilty of the same offence and subject to the same punishment, as if the act or omission had been done or made in Scotland.
F62A
Any relevant person who in a country outside the United Kingdom does any act which—
a
constitutes an offence under the law in force in that country, and
b
if done in Scotland would constitute the crime of assault,
is guilty of the same crime and subject to the same punishment as if the act had been done in Scotland.
2B
For the purposes of subsection (2A)(a), an act punishable under the law in force in the country is an offence under that law however it is described in that law.
2C
The condition specified in subsection (2A)(a) is to be taken as satisfied unless, not later than such time as may be prescribed by Act of Adjournal, the accused serves on the prosecutor a notice—
a
stating that, on the facts as alleged with respect to the act in question, the condition is not in the accused's opinion satisfied,
b
setting out the grounds for the accused's opinion, and
c
requiring the prosecutor to prove that the condition is satisfied.
2D
But the court, if it thinks fit, may permit the accused to require the prosecutor to prove that the condition is satisfied without the prior service of a notice under subsection (2C).
2E
In proceedings on indictment, the question whether the condition is satisfied is to be determined by the judge alone.
2F
For the purposes of subsections (1) to (2B)—
“country” includes territory;
“relevant person” means a person who is a United Kingdom national or is habitually resident in Scotland;
“United Kingdom national” means an individual who is—
- a
a British citizen, a British overseas territories citizen, a British National (Overseas) or a British Overseas citizen,
- b
a person who under the British Nationality Act 1981 is a British subject, or
- c
a British protected person within the meaning of that Act.
- a
C13
A person may be F4prosecuted, tried and punished for an offence to which this section applies—
a
in any sheriff court district in Scotland in which he is apprehended or is in custody; or
b
in such sheriff court district as the Lord Advocate may determine,
as if the offence had been committed in that district, and the offence shall, for all purposes incidental to or consequential on the trial or punishment thereof, be deemed to have been committed in that district.
4
Any person who—
a
has in his possession in Scotland property which he has stolen in any other part of the United Kingdom; or
b
in Scotland receives property stolen in any other part of the United Kingdom,
may be F3prosecuted, tried and punished in Scotland in like manner as if he had stolen it in Scotland.
F15
Where a person in any part of the United Kingdom outside Scotland—
a
steals or attempts to steal any mail-bag or postal packet in the course of its transmission by post, or any of the contents of such a mail-bag or postal packet; or
b
in stealing or with intent to steal any such mail-bag or postal packet or any of its contents commits any robbery, attempted robbery or assault with intent to rob,
he is guilty of the offence mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b) as if he had committed it in Scotland and shall be liable to be prosecuted, tried and punished there without proof that the offence was committed there.
6
Any expression used in subsection (5) and in the Postal Services Act 2000 has the same meaning in that subsection as it has in that Act.