Section 161 – Appeal to sheriff against decision affecting contact or permanence order
230.This section relates to section 126 (which creates a separate review process of contact directions where a contact or permanence order is in force and the holder of that order is not a relevant person). This section provides a separate appeal right to the sheriff against the decision of that review hearing for persons who are not relevant persons but who hold a contact or permanence order in respect of the child, or a person who meets the conditions specified by the order-making power under section 126(2)(b). The appeal is only applicable against the hearing’s review of the contact direction. Subsection (6) provides that the appeal must be made within 21 days of the date the decision under appeal is made and it must be heard within 3 days. The sheriff must either confirm the decision of the review hearing if satisfied that it is justified or vary the compulsory supervision order by varying or removing the contact direction contained in it if not satisfied that the decision of the review hearing was justified.