(1)For the purposes of the administration of justice, Scotland is to be divided into areas, each to be known as a “sheriffdom”.
(2)A sheriffdom is to comprise one or more areas, each to be known as a “sheriff court district”.
(3)Within each sheriff court district a place is to be designated at which the judiciary of the sheriffdom are to sit and hold court for the purpose of exercising their judicial functions; and such sittings are to be known as a “sheriff court”.
(4)The sheriffdoms and sheriff court districts existing immediately before the date on which this section comes into force are to continue to exist on and after that date, and are accordingly the first sheriffdoms and sheriff court districts for the purposes of subsections (1) and (2).
(5)On and after the date on which this section comes into force, sheriff courts are to continue to be held at the places at which they were held immediately before that date, and accordingly those places are the first places designated for the holding of sheriff courts for the purposes of subsection (3).
(6)Subsections (4) and (5) are subject to an order under section 2.