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Scottish Statutory Instruments

2015 No. 77 (C. 17)

Court Of Session

Judicial Appointments And Discipline

Scottish Court Service

Sheriff Court

The Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (Commencement No. 2, Transitional and Saving Provisions) Order 2015

Made

24th February 2015

Laid before the Scottish Parliament

26th February 2015

Coming into force in accordance with article 1

The Scottish Ministers make the following Order in exercise of the powers conferred by section 138(2) and (3) of the Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014(1) and all other powers enabling them to do so.

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (Commencement No. 2, Transitional and Saving Provisions) Order 2015.

(2) This article and article 2(1) come into force on 12th March 2015.

(3) The remaining provisions of this Order come into force on 1st April 2015.

(4) In this Order, “the Act” means the Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014.

Appointed day

2.—(1) The day appointed for the coming into force of section 23(5) of the Act (power of Court of Session to make rules about procedure at tribunal constituted under section 21) is 12th March 2015.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), the day appointed for the coming into force of the provisions of the Act specified in column 1 of the table in the Schedule to this Order (the subject matter of which is specified in column 2 of that table) is 1st April 2015.

(3) Where a purpose is specified in column 3 of the table in the Schedule, a provision specified in column 1 of that table comes into force only for that purpose.

Payment of judicial remuneration and expenses

3.—(1) Paragraphs (2) to (4) apply until the day on which section 16(12) of the Act (salaries and remuneration payable by SCTS) comes into force.

(2) Salaries under section 16(1) of the Act and remuneration under section 16(3) of the Act are to be paid by the Scottish Ministers.

(3) Remuneration under section 16(5), (9) and (11) of the Act is to be paid by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service.

(4) Sums required by the Scottish Ministers for the payment of a salary or remuneration under paragraph (2) are charged on the Scottish Consolidated Fund.

Tribunal to consider fitness for office

4.  Judicial conduct occurring before 1st April 2015 may be taken into account in any proceedings under section 21 of the Act (tribunal to consider fitness for office).

Re-employment of former sheriffs principal in the Sheriff Appeal Court

5.—(1) Section 51(1) of the Act (re-employment of former Appeal Sheriffs) has effect as if the reference in it to a qualifying former Appeal Sheriff included a reference to a qualifying former sheriff principal.

(2) For that purpose, a “qualifying former sheriff principal” is an individual who—

(a)prior to the commencement of section 49(1) of the Act—

(i)held office as a sheriff principal; and

(ii)ceased to hold that office other than by virtue of an order under section 12E of the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971 (removal from office)(2); and

(b)has not reached the age of 75.

Saving for regulation of commissary business

6.  Despite the repeal of section 54 of the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1876(3) (courts to make acts of sederunt) by paragraph 3 of schedule 5 to the Act—

(a)any act of sederunt made under that section shall continue to have effect on or after 1st April 2015 as it had effect immediately before that date; and

(b)that section shall continue to have effect for the purpose of enabling the revocation of any act of sederunt made under it.

Saving for existing subordinate legislation

7.—(1) Despite the coming into force of paragraphs 4(f), 6(2), 26, 28 and 30(3) of schedule 5 to the Act (which repeal the enactments specified in paragraph (2)), any subordinate legislation made under an enactment specified in paragraph (2) continues to have effect.

(2) The enactments are—

(a)section 2 of the Court of Law Fees (Scotland) Act 1895(4) (power of Scottish Ministers to regulate court fees);

(b)section 6 of the Execution of Diligence (Scotland) Act 1926(5) (regulations, forms and fees);

(c)section 40 of the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1907(6) (Court of Session to regulate fees etc.);

(d)in the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971—

(i)section 32 (power of Court of Session to regulate civil procedure in sheriff court);

(ii)section 32A(7) (rules for lay representation); and

(iii)section 41 (power of Her Majesty to vary limit to privative jurisdiction of sheriff court etc.);

(e)in the Court of Session Act 1988(8)—

(i)section 5 (power to regulate procedure etc. by act of sederunt);

(ii)section 5A(9) (rules for lay representation); and

(iii)section 6 (allocation of business etc. by act of sederunt).

(3) In paragraph (2), a reference to an enactment includes a reference to that enactment as extended, applied or modified by any other enactment.

PAUL WHEELHOUSE

Authorised to sign by the Scottish Ministers

St Andrew’s House,

Edinburgh

24th February 2015

Article 2

SCHEDULEProvisions of the Act coming into force on 1st April 2015

Column 1

Provisions of the Act

Column 2

Subject Matter

Column 3

Purpose

(1)

Section 130 was brought into force for limited purposes by S.S.I. 2015/12 (C. 2).

(2)

Paragraphs 1(1), (2), (6), (8) and (9) and 3(1) to (4) and (6) of schedule 4 were brought into force for limited purposes by S.S.I. 2015/12 (C. 2).

(3)

Sections 2(3) and 3(4) are repealed by the Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (Consequential Provisions and Modifications) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/700).

Sections 1 and 2Sheriffdoms, sheriff court districts and sheriff courts
Sections 3 and 4Sheriffs principal and sheriffs
Section 5Summary sheriffsFor the purpose of making appointments
Sections 6 to 9Judiciary of the sheriffdoms
Section 10Part-time summary sheriffsFor the purpose of making appointments
Sections 11 to 15Judiciary of the sheriffdoms
Section 16(1) to (11)Remuneration
Sections 17 to 22Judiciary of the sheriffdoms
Section 23Further provision about tribunals constituted under section 21For all remaining purposes
Sections 24 and 25Tribunal report and removal from office
Sections 27 to 37Organisation of business
Section 38Jurisdiction and competence of sheriffs
Section 39Power to make act of sederunt for determining the value of an order etc.For the purpose of making provision by act of sederunt
Sections 40 to 43Jurisdiction and competence of sheriffs
Section 46The Sheriff Appeal CourtFor the purpose of enabling appointments under sections 49 to 51, 53, 54, 59 and 60
Sections 49 to 53Sheriff Appeal Court – appointments etc.
Section 54 to 56President and Vice President of the Sheriff Appeal Court etc.
Section 57(3) to (5)Power to prescribe sittings of the Sheriff Appeal Court
Sections 59 to 61Clerk and Deputy Clerks of the Sheriff Appeal Court
Section 62Records of the Sheriff Appeal Court
Section 72Power to make provision by act of sederunt in relation to simple procedureFor the purpose of making provision by act of sederunt
Section 75Rule-making: matters to be taken into consideration
Section 76Rules relating to service of documents
Section 81Expenses in simple procedure casesFor the purpose of enabling an order to be made
Section 86Power to enable sheriff to make orders having effect outside sheriffdomFor the purpose of enabling an order to be made by the Scottish Ministers
Section 87Power of sheriff to order sheriff clerk to execute deed relating to heritage
Section 88Interim orders
Section 90Interim orders
Section 91Warrants for ejection
Section 98Power to make supplementary provision about lay representation for non-natural persons
Section 102Power to make orders in relation to vexatious behaviourFor the purpose of enabling regulations to be made
Sections 103 to 107Procedure and fees
Section 115Appeals: granting of leave or permission and assessment of grounds of appeal
Section 119Appeals from the Sheriff Appeal Court to the High CourtFor the purpose of enabling the making of an act of adjournal in reliance upon inserted section 194ZF(1)(c)(ii) of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995
Section 123Appointment of Court of Session Judges etc.
Section 125Judges of the Court of Session - expenses
Section 127Establishing, relocating and disestablishing justice of the peace courts
Section 130The Scottish Courts and Tribunal ServiceFor all remaining purposes(1)
Section 131Assistants to the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland
Section 132Modification of enactmentsFor the purpose of bringing into force the provisions of schedule 5 listed in column 1 below
Section 134(2)References to “sheriff”
Schedule 2Appeal Sheriffs: temporary provisionFor the purpose of enabling appointments to be made under paragraph 2(1) of schedule 2
Schedule 4The Scottish Courts and Tribunals ServiceFor all remaining purposes(2)
The following provisions of schedule 5—Modifications of enactments
Paragraphs 1 to 3Sheriff courts
Paragraph 4(a)Repeal of sections 4 to 7 of the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1907For the purpose of repealing sections 4 to 6 of the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1907
Paragraph 4(b) and (c)Repeal of sections 10, 11 and 14 of the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1907
Paragraph 4(f)Repeal of sections 39 and 40 of the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1907For the purpose of repealing section 40 of the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1907
Paragraph 5Amendment of the Sheriff Courts and Legal Officers (Scotland) Act 1927
Paragraph 6(1) and (2)Repeal of the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971, other than sections 2(3) and 3(4)(3)For the purpose of repealing the whole of the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971, with the exception of—
(a)

section 31 (privative jurisdiction);

(b)

section 35 (summary causes);

(c)

section 36(2) and (3) (procedure in summary causes);

(d)

sections 36A and 36B (small claims);

(e)

section 37 (remits);

(f)

section 38 (appeal in summary causes);

(g)

section 45 (interpretation).

Paragraph 7Amendment of the Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments Act 1982
Paragraph 9Amendment of the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008
Paragraph 10Amendment of the Sheriff Courts and Legal Officers (Scotland) Act 1927
Paragraph 11Amendment of the Public Records (Scotland) Act 1937
Paragraph 12(1) and (4)Amendment of the Administration of Justice (Scotland) Act 1972
Paragraph 16Amendment of the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008
Paragraph 18Amendment of the Scottish Civil Justice Council and Criminal Legal Assistance Act 2013
Paragraph 26Repeal of section 2 of the Court of Law Fees (Scotland) Act 1895
Paragraphs 28 to 31Regulation of procedure and fees
Paragraph 34Amendment of the Promissory Oaths Act 1868
Paragraphs 36 to 38Judges of the Court of Session
Paragraphs 42 to 45Miscellaneous

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order brings into force provisions of the Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (“the Act”). Section 23(5) of the Act, which permits the Court of Session to make rules regulating a tribunal established under section 21 of the Act, comes into force on 12th March 2015. The provisions specified in column 1 of the table in the schedule to the Order come into force on 1st April 2015. The subject matter of these provisions is set out in column 2 of the table, and where provisions are brought into force only for a limited purpose, this purpose is given in column 3.

Articles 3 to 7 contain transitional and saving provisions.

Article 3 applies until the commencement of section 16(12) of the Act (which provides for all of the salaries and remuneration payable under that section to be paid by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service). It provides that the Scottish Ministers shall be responsible for the payment of the salaries and remuneration of sheriffs principal, sheriffs and summary sheriffs, and that the sums required for these payments shall be charged on the Scottish Consolidated Fund. It also provides that the remuneration of other judicial officers under that section shall be paid by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service.

Article 4 permits a tribunal constituted under section 21 of the Act (tribunal to consider fitness for office), to consider judicial conduct which took place prior to the commencement of that section.

Article 5 enables former sheriffs principal who have not reached the age of 75 to be appointed to act as Appeal Sheriffs in terms of section 51(1) of the Act (re-employment of former Appeal Sheriffs).

Article 6 saves acts of sederunt made under section 54 of the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1876 regulating commissary business from the repeal of that section by paragraph 3 of schedule 5 to the Act, and provides for that section to continue to have effect for the purpose of enabling their revocation.

Article 7 provides for existing subordinate legislation made under the powers specified in paragraph (2) of that Article to continue to have effect despite the repeal of those powers.

NOTE AS TO EARLIER COMMENCEMENT ORDERS

(This note is not part of the Order)

ProvisionDate of CommencementS.S.I. No.
Section 130 and paragraphs 1(1), (2), (6), (8) and (9) and 3(1) to (4) and (6), for the purposes of making subordinate legislation under the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008.2nd February 20152015/12 (C. 2)
(2)

1971 c.58; section 12E was inserted by the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008 (asp 6), section 40.

(3)

1876 c.70; section 54 was repealed, except in so far as it relates to commissary regulations, by the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1907 (c.51), Schedule 2. Section 54 was amended by the Public Records (Scotland) Act 1937 (c.43), Schedule 2 and the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971 (c.58), Schedule 1, paragraph 1; the relevant acts of sederunt are S.S.I. 2013/291 and S.S.I. 2014/265.

(4)

1895 c.14; section 2 was substituted by the Divorce Jurisdiction, Court Fees and Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1983 (c.12), section 4.

(7)

Section 32A was added by the Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2010 (asp 16), section 127(b).

(9)

Section 5A was added by the Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2010 (asp 16), section 126(b).