Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2014 Explanatory Notes

1. Introduction

2. Overview of the Act

3. Commentary on Sections

   1. General principles

      1. Section 1 - General principles

   2. Standards of service

      1. Section 2 - Standards of Service

      2. Section 3 – Reports

   3. Rules: review of decision not to prosecute

      1. Section 4 – Rules: review of decision not to prosecute

   4. Restorative justice

      1. Section 5 – Restorative justice

   5. Disclosure of information

      1. Section 6 – Disclosure of information about criminal proceedings

   6. Interviews

      1. Section 7 - Interviews with children: guidance

      2. Section 8 – Certain sexual offences: victim’s right to specify gender of interviewer

   7. Medical examinations

      1. Section 9 - Certain medical examinations: gender of medical examiner

   8. Vulnerable witnesses

      1. Section 10 – Vulnerable witnesses: main definitions

      2. Section 11 – Child and deemed vulnerable witnesses

      3. Section 12 – Child and deemed vulnerable witnesses: standard special measures

      4. Section 13 – Objections to special measures; child and deemed vulnerable witnesses

      5. Section 14– Child witnesses

      6. Section 15 – Reporting of proceedings involving children

      7. Section 16 – Other vulnerable witnesses: assessment and application

      8. Section 17 – Objections to special measures: other vulnerable witnesses

      9. Section 18 – Review of arrangements for vulnerable witnesses

      10. Section 19 – Temporary additional special measures

      11. Section 20 – Special measures: closed court

      12. Section 21 – Power to prescribe further special measures

      13. Section 22 – Vulnerable witnesses: civil proceedings

   9. Victim statements

      1. Section 23 – Victim statements

   10. Sentencing

       1. Section 24 – Duty to consider making compensation order

       2. Section 25 – Restitution order

       3. Section 26 – Victim surcharge

   11. Release of offender: victim’s rights

       1. Section 27 –Victim’s right to receive information about release of offender etc.

       2. Section 28 – Life prisoners: victim’s right to make oral representations before release on licence

       3. Section 29 – Temporary release: victim’s right to make representations

   12. National Confidential Forum

       1. Section 30

          1. National Confidential Forum

          2. General functions of NCF

          3. Carrying out NCF functions

          4. Further modifications in relation to NCF

       2. Section 31 – NCF: constitution and operation

       3. Section 31 – Schedule 1A

          1. Schedule 1A – Part 1 – Members of the National Confidential Forum

             1. Membership

             2. Membership selection panel

             3. National Confidential Forum staff

             4. Powers and procedure of the National Confidential Forum

             5. Application of schedule 1 to the National Confidential Forum

          2. Schedule 1A – Part 2 – Delegation of functions

             1. Delegation by the National Confidential Forum

          3. Schedule 1A – Part 3 – Eligibility to participate in the National Confidential Forum

          4. Schedule 1A – Part 4 – Conduct of Hearings

             1. Recording of testimony

             2. Payment of expenses

          5. Schedule 1A – Part 5 – Reporting

          6. Schedule 1A – Part 6 - Confidentiality

          7. Schedule 1A – Part 7

   13. General

       1. Section 32 – Interpretation

       2. Section 33 – Ancillary provision

       3. Section 34 – Commencement

4. Parliamentary History