Sheriff Courts and Legal Officers (Scotland) Act 1927

Part IS Sheriff Clerks, Procurators Fiscal, &c.

1 Appointment of sheriff clerk and procurator fiscal.S

(1)The right of appointing to and removing from the office of sheriff clerk shall be vested in [F1the Scottish Court Service]F1. There shall be a sheriff clerk for each [F2sheriffdom] in Scotland as heretofore, provided that it shall be lawful for the [F3Scottish Court Service]F3, where the division of sheriff court districts or other circumstances appear to [F4it]F4 to render such a course expedient, to appoint a sheriff clerk for an area other than a [F2sheriffdom]whether situated entirely within one [F2sheriffdom] or not.

(2)The right of appointing to and removing from the office of procurator fiscal shall be vested in the Lord Advocate, and the Lord Advocate may F5. . . from time to time fix the number of procurators fiscal in Scotland, and the limits of the districts for which such procurators fiscal shall act.

(3)Notwithstanding anything in either of the foregoing subsections [F6but subject to subsections (4) and (5) below], no sheriff clerk or procurator fiscal shall be removed from his office except upon a report by the Lord President of the Court of Session and the Lord Justice Clerk:

Provided that no such report shall be required in any case of retirement of a sheriff clerk or procurator fiscal in circumstances which would qualify him for an award under [F7the principal civil service pension scheme within the meaning of section 2 of the M1Superannuation Act 1972 and for the time being in force], or in consequence of the operation of an age limit.

[F8(4)The right vested—

(a)in the [F9Scottish Court Service]F9 under subsection (1) above shall include the right to transfer the sheriff clerk of one sheriff court district to an office, whether of sheriff clerk or (however styled) of sheriff clerk depute, in another sheriff court district;

(b)in the Lord Advocate under subsection (2) above shall include the right to transfer the procurator fiscal of one district to an office, whether of procurator fiscal or (however styled) of procurator fiscal depute, in another district,

where in the opinion of the [F9Scottish Court Service]F9 or, as the case may be, of the Lord Advocate the transfer is for the purpose of securing efficient organisation and administration.

(5)It is hereby declared that, for the purposes of subsection (3) above, a transfer under subsection (4) above is not a removal from office.]

[F10(6)For the purposes of subsection (3) above, the appointment of a sheriff clerk as Clerk of the Sheriff Appeal Court under section 59 of the Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 is not a removal from office.]

2 Appointment of sheriff clerk and procurator fiscal deputes.S

In each [F11sheriffdom] or district the [F12Scottish Court Service]F12 and the Lord Advocate may respectively, F13. . ., appoint such sheriff clerk deputes or procurator fiscal deputes as may be necessary.

3 Whole-time sheriff clerks and procurators fiscal and deputes.S

The [F14Scottish Court Service]F14 in the case of the office of any sheriff clerk or sheriff clerk depute, and the Lord Advocate in the case of the office of any procurator fiscal or procurator fiscal depute, F15. . ., may from time to time, having regard to the amount of business to be performed, determine that such office shall be a whole-time office; and no person appointed to any such office under this Act (in this Act referred to as a whole-time officer) shall engage directly or indirectly in practice as a law agent or carry on any employment of such a nature as will, in the opinion of the [F14Scottish Court Service]F14 or of the Lord Advocate as the case may be, interfere with the due discharge of the duties of his office.

4 Vacancy in office of sheriff clerk, procurator fiscal or deputes.S

In the case of a vacancy in the office of sheriff clerk, sheriff clerk depute, procurator fiscal or procurator fiscal depute, or in the case of the incapacity of any such officer, it shall be lawful for the [F16Scottish Court Service]F16 and the Lord Advocate respectively to give directions for the discharge during the vacancy or incapacity of the duties of such officer by any other officer in the sheriff clerk or procurator fiscal service respectively, or by any other fit person.

5 Whole-time clerks.S

[F17(1)F17]The [F18Scottish Court Service]F18 and the Lord Advocate may respectively, F19. . ., appoint such whole-time clerks or other whole-time assistants to a sheriff clerk or procurator fiscal as may be deemed necessary F20....

[F21(2)The [F22Scottish Court Service]F22 may appoint to a justice of the peace court such clerks and assistant clerks as [F23it considers]F23 necessary.

(3)The clerks and assistants mentioned in subsections (1) and (2) above are referred to in this Act as whole-time clerks.F21]

F246. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S

Textual Amendments

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8 Secretary of State may issue instructions, &c.S

(1)The [F26Scottish Court Service] [F27may from time to time issue to sheriff clerks] such instructions as may be deemed necessary for the purpose of giving effect to the provisions of this Act.

[F28(1A)The Lord Advocate may from time to time issue to procurators fiscal such instructions as may be deemed necessary for the purpose of—

(a)giving effect to the provisions of this Act, or

(b)the efficient disposal of business in the sheriff courts.]

(2)The [F29Scottish Ministers] may from time to time by order make such modifications and adaptations of the provisions of any enactment as may be necessary in consequence of the exercise of the power vested in [F30the Scottish Court Service] by subsection (1) of section one of this Act to appoint a sheriff clerk for an area other than a [F31sheriffdom].

9 Deputation by sheriff clerk or procurator fiscal.S

Notwithstanding anything contained in section two of this Act, it shall be lawful for a sheriff clerk with the consent of the [F32Scottish Court Service]F32, and for a procurator fiscal with the consent of the Lord Advocate, to grant a deputation to a fit person for whose actings (except in the case where such person is a whole-time clerk) he shall be responsible.

10 Application to officers in commissary office.S

The commissary clerk of Edinburgh shall, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to be a sheriff clerk, and the provisions of this Act with regard to sheriff clerk deputes and clerks in the office of sheriff clerks shall apply to deputes and clerks in the office of the said commissary clerk accordingly.

11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F33S

12 Prosecutions at instance of procurator fiscal.S

It shall be lawful for the Lord Advocate, F34. . ., by Order to direct in the case of any Act of Parliament that, notwithstanding anything therein contained all proceedings in the sheriff court under the Summary Jurisdiction (Scotland) Acts for a contravention of or an offence against such Act of Parliament shall be taken by and at the instance of the procurator fiscal, F35. . ..

Textual Amendments

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Textual Amendments