Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975

270 Custody of trial documents, etc.

(1) Any document, production or other thing lodged in connection with the proceedings on the trial of any person who, if convicted, is entitled or may be authorised to appeal under this Part of this Act, shall, in accordance with the provisions of this section, be kept in the custody of the court in which the conviction took place.

(2) All documents and other productions produced at the trial of a person convicted shall be kept for the period of ten days after the actual day on which the conviction took place in the custody of the court of trial in such manner as it may direct, and, failing direction, such custody shall be in the hands of the sheriff clerk of the district of the court of the second diet to whom the clerk of court shall hand them over at the close of the trial, unless otherwise ordered by the High Court on a note of appeal or application for leave to appeal being lodged, and if within such period of ten days or any extension thereof authorised by the High Court a note of appeal or of application for leave to appeal has been lodged under this Part of this Act, they shall be so kept until the determination thereof:

Provided that the judge of the court in which the conviction took place may, on cause shown, grant an order authorising any of such documents or productions to be released on such conditions as to custody and return as he may deem it proper to prescribe.

(3) All such documents or other productions so retained in custody or released and returned shall, under supervision of the custodian thereof, be made available for inspection and for the purpose of making copies of documents or productions to an appellant or applicant who has lodged a note of appeal or of application for leave to appeal or to his counsel or agent, and to the Crown Agent and the procurator-fiscal or his deputes.

(4) In case no note of appeal or application for leave to appeal is lodged within such period of ten days or extension thereof as aforesaid, all such documents and productions shall be dealt with as they are in use to be dealt with according to the existing law and practice at the conclusion of a trial.