Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 Explanatory Notes

Section 27: Combination of reviews by the independent reviewer

57.Where a Level 2 review application has been made seeking review of more than one type of reviewable information and, as a result, more than one review is to be carried out by the independent reviewer, Ministers must arrange for the independent reviewer to bring them together and treat them as a single review. This will avoid duplication of effort, for example, two requests for information being sent to the same person. It will also ensure a single, streamlined outcome for the applicant. There are provisions to ensure that where one or more of the strands of review requires a prior decision by either the chief constable or Ministers, the single review by the independent reviewer cannot begin until any such earlier reviews are completed and the prescribed period for the applicant to request a review by the independent reviewer has expired (either with or without a request for review having been made). Where there is more than one type of earlier review, the independent review process can only proceed when all prior reviews are complete.

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