Search Legislation

Sexual Offences (Procedure and Evidence) (Scotland) Act 2002

 Help about what version

What Version

 Help about advanced features

Advanced Features

Changes to legislation:

There are currently no known outstanding effects for the Sexual Offences (Procedure and Evidence) (Scotland) Act 2002, Paragraph 7. Help about Changes to Legislation

Close

Changes to Legislation

Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. At the current time any known changes or effects made by subsequent legislation have been applied to the text of the legislation you are viewing by the editorial team. Please see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ for details regarding the timescales for which new effects are identified and recorded on this site.

Pre-trial High Court diet: inquiry about legal representation of accused in cases of sexual offencesS

This section has no associated Explanatory Notes

7After section 72 there is inserted—

72A Pre-trial diet: inquiry about legal representation of accused in cases of sexual offences

(1)Where a case to be tried in the High Court is in respect of a sexual offence to which section 288C of this Act applies, the court shall order that, before the trial diet, there shall be a diet under this section and ordain the accused then to attend.

(2)At a diet under this section, the court shall ascertain whether or not the accused has engaged a solicitor for the purposes of his defence at the trial.

(3)Where, following inquiries for the purposes of subsection (2) above, it appears to the court that the accused has not engaged a solicitor for the purposes of his defence at his trial, it may adjourn the diet under this section for a period of not more than 48 hours and ordain the accused then to attend.

(4)A diet under this section shall be not less than 15 clear days after the service of the indictment and not less than 10 clear days before the trial diet.

(5)A diet under this section may be conjoined with a preliminary diet.

(6)A court may, at a diet under this section, postpone the trial diet.

(7)The court may dispense with a diet under this section previously ordered, but only if a solicitor engaged by the accused for the purposes of the defence of the accused at the trial has, in writing—

(a)confirmed his engagement for that purpose; and

(b)requested that the diet be dispensed with.

(8)Where—

(a)a solicitor has requested, under subsection (7) above, that a diet under this section be dispensed with; and

(b)before that diet has been held or dispensed with, the solicitor—

(i)is dismissed by the accused; or

(ii)withdraws,

the solicitor shall forthwith inform the court in writing of those facts.

(9)It is the duty of a solicitor who—

(a)was engaged for the purposes of the defence of the accused at the trial—

(i)at the time of a diet under this section; or

(ii)in the case of a diet which, under subsection (7) above, is dispensed with, at the time when it was so dispensed with; and

(b)after that time but before the trial diet—

(i)is dismissed by the accused; or

(ii)withdraws,

forthwith to inform the court in writing of those facts.

(10)On being so informed, the court shall order a further diet under this section..

Back to top

Options/Help

Print Options

Close

Legislation is available in different versions:

Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.

Original (As Enacted or Made): The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.

Close

See additional information alongside the content

Geographical Extent: Indicates the geographical area that this provision applies to. For further information see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

Show Timeline of Changes: See how this legislation has or could change over time. Turning this feature on will show extra navigation options to go to these specific points in time. Return to the latest available version by using the controls above in the What Version box.

Close

Opening Options

Different options to open legislation in order to view more content on screen at once

Close

Explanatory Notes

Text created by the Scottish Government to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes were introduced in 1999 and accompany all Acts of the Scottish Parliament except those which result from Budget Bills.

Close

More Resources

Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • correction slips
  • links to related legislation and further information resources
Close

Timeline of Changes

This timeline shows the different points in time where a change occurred. The dates will coincide with the earliest date on which the change (e.g an insertion, a repeal or a substitution) that was applied came into force. The first date in the timeline will usually be the earliest date when the provision came into force. In some cases the first date is 01/02/1991 (or for Northern Ireland legislation 01/01/2006). This date is our basedate. No versions before this date are available. For further information see the Editorial Practice Guide and Glossary under Help.

Close

More Resources

Use this menu to access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • correction slips

Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including:

  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • links to related legislation and further information resources