Section 55 – Code of practice
174.Section 55 provides that the Commission must prepare and publish a code of practice relating to the exercise of the functions of judicial officers. It also enables the Commission to prepare and publish a code in relation to the undertaking of activities by judicial officers. This power is subject to section 56(2)(a) which already provides a power to publish a code of practice for the activity of informal debt collection. A code published under this section may, from time to time, be revised in whole or in part and any revised code must be published. Publishing can be effected electronically (section 78(a)). The Commission will send a copy of each code of practice to the professional association for judicial officers (see section 63) and the Scottish Ministers, who must lay a copy of it before the Scottish Parliament.