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				<dc:identifier>http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2025/12/section/21/notes</dc:identifier><dc:title>Explanatory Notes to Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Act 2025</dc:title><dc:creator>Scottish Government</dc:creator><dc:language>en</dc:language><dc:publisher>King's Printer for Scotland</dc:publisher><dc:modified>2026-05-19</dc:modified>
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<Title><Citation URI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/asp/2025/12" id="c00001" Class="ScottishAct" Year="2025" Number="0012">Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Act 2025</Citation>
</Title>
<Number>12</Number>
<DateOfEnactment>
<DateText>30 October 2025</DateText>
</DateOfEnactment>
</ENprelims><Body><Division id="d00003" DocumentURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2025/12/notes/division/3" IdURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/asp/2025/12/notes/division/3"><Title>Crown Application</Title><CommentaryPart id="n00001" DocumentURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2025/12/notes/division/3/1" IdURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/asp/2025/12/notes/division/3/1"><Title><CitationSubRef id="c00003" URI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/asp/2025/12/part/1" CitationRef="c00001" SectionRef="part-1">Part 1</CitationSubRef> – Victims and Witnesses Commissioner for Scotland</Title><CommentaryDivision id="n00024" DocumentURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2025/12/notes/division/3/1/8" IdURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/asp/2025/12/notes/division/3/1/8"><Title>Miscellaneous</Title><CommentaryP1 id="n00025" DocumentURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2025/12/notes/division/3/1/8/1" IdURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/asp/2025/12/notes/division/3/1/8/1">
<Title><CitationSubRef id="c00128" URI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/asp/2025/12/section/21" CitationRef="c00001" SectionRef="section-21">Section 21</CitationSubRef> – reports</Title>
<NumberedPara id="paragraph-53" DocumentURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2025/12/notes/paragraph/53" IdURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/asp/2025/12/notes/paragraph/53"><Pnumber>53</Pnumber><Para>
<Text><CitationSubRef id="c00130" URI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/asp/2025/12/section/21" CitationRef="c00001" SectionRef="section-21">Section 21</CitationSubRef> provides a general power for the Commissioner to publish any reports that the Commissioner considers appropriate. This power is in addition to the Commissioner’s obligation to publish its annual report, and reports on its investigations. At least 5 days before publishing a report under this section, the Commissioner must give a draft copy of the report to each criminal justice body. Any report published under this section must, so far as reasonably practicable, not identify any individual who has given information to the Commissioner unless that individual has given prior consent to being named in the report. Reports published under this section may be laid before the Scottish Parliament if the Commissioner considers such laying to be appropriate.</Text>
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