2.—(1) When the Scottish Ministers consider, on the advice of a sheriff principal, that it is necessary or expedient to appoint one or more stipendiary magistrates, they shall direct that sheriff principal to establish a SMAC.
(2) A SMAC must be established by the sheriff principal of the sheriffdom for which the stipendiary magistrate or magistrates are to be appointed.
(3) A SMAC may be established for a particular sheriffdom only.
(4) A SMAC shall be disbanded once the stipendiary magistrate appointment or appointments identified in paragraph (1) have been filled.