Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995

148 Intermediate diet

(1) The court may at any time, as respects a case which is adjourned for trial, fix a diet (to be known as an intermediate diet) for the purpose of ascertaining, so far as is reasonably practicable, whether the case is likely to proceed to trial on the date assigned as the trial diet and, in particular—

(a) the state of preparation of the prosecutor and of the accused with respect to their cases;

(b) whether the accused intends to adhere to the plea of not guilty; and

(c) the extent to which the prosecutor and the accused have complied with the duty under section 257(1) of this Act.

(2) Where at an intermediate diet the court concludes that the case is unlikely to proceed to trial on the date assigned for the trial diet, the court—

(a) shall, unless having regard to previous proceedings in the case it considers it inappropriate to do so, postpone the trial diet; and

(b) may fix a further intermediate diet.

(3) Subject to subsection (2) above, the court may, if it considers it appropriate to do so, adjourn an intermediate diet.

(4) At an intermediate diet, the court may ask the prosecutor and the accused any question for the purposes mentioned in subsection (1) above.

(5) The accused shall attend an intermediate diet of which he has received intimation or to which he has been cited unless—

(a) he is legally represented; and

(b) the court considers that there are exceptional circumstances justifying him not attending.

(6) A plea of guilty may be tendered at the intermediate diet.

(7) The foregoing provisions of this section shall have effect as respects any court prescribed by the Secretary of State by order, in relation to proceedings commenced after such date as may be so prescribed, with the following modifications—

(a) in subsection (1), for the word “may” there shall be substituted “shall, subject to subsection (1A) below,”; and

(b) after subsection (1) there shall be inserted the following subsections—

“(1A) If, on a joint application by the prosecutor and the accused made at any time before the commencement of the intermediate diet, the court considers it inappropriate to have such a diet, the duty under subsection (1) above shall not apply and the court shall discharge any such diet already fixed.

(1B) The court may consider an application under subsection (1A) above without hearing the parties.”.

(8) An order under subsection (7) above shall be made by statutory instrument, which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.