Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Act 2022

Ability to take calling in any sheriff court and then maintain proceedings

16 (1) A calling of criminal proceedings in the sheriff court to which sub-paragraph (2) applies may be dealt with—

(a) in any sheriff court in Scotland, and

(b) by a sheriff of any sheriffdom.

(2) This sub-paragraph applies to a calling of criminal proceedings in which the person who is the subject of the proceedings is appearing from custody—

(a) having been arrested by a constable in connection with the matter to which the proceedings relate, and

(b) without having subsequently—

(i) been released from custody, or

(ii) had a court authorise the person’s continued remand in custody.

(3) If more than one person is the subject of the proceedings, the reference in sub-paragraph (2) to the person who is the subject of the proceedings is to be read as referring to any of them.

(4) It is for the Lord Advocate or the procurator fiscal to determine in which sheriff court a calling to which sub-paragraph (2) applies is to be taken.

(5) Where proceedings have come before a sheriff court by virtue of sub-paragraph (1), the proceedings may continue to be dealt with—

(a) in the same sheriff court, and

(b) by a sheriff of any sheriffdom.

(6) Proceedings may continue to be dealt with by virtue of sub-paragraph (5) until their conclusion, except that—

(a) in the case of summary proceedings, or proceedings on petition or indictment, insofar as the proceedings relate to a charge in respect of which the accused person has tendered a plea of not guilty which has not been accepted by the prosecutor, they cannot continue to be dealt with by virtue of sub-paragraph (5) after the end of the diet at which that plea was tendered,

(b) in the case of proceedings on petition or indictment, they cannot continue to be dealt with by virtue of sub-paragraph (5) after committal of the accused person until liberation in due course of law.

(7) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (5), proceedings on petition and any subsequent proceedings on indictment are to be treated as the same proceedings.