The Community Justice (Scotland) Act 2016 (Commencement No. 1 and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2016

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations bring into force the following provisions of the Community Justice (Scotland) Act 2016 (“the Act”) (so far as not already in force) on 1st October 2016: sections 3, 7, 9, 10, 12 to 14, 19 to 24 and paragraphs 1 to 13 of schedule 1.

Section 3 and schedule 1 of the Act relate to the establishment of the new body Community Justice Scotland. These provisions are brought into force for the limited purposes set out in the corresponding column 3 of the table in the schedule to these Regulations. Section 7 provides Scottish Ministers with a power to make grants to the new body. Section 9 relates to governance and accountability in relation to the new body. Section 10 relates to the requirement for the new body to prepare a corporate plan for approval by the Scottish Ministers. Section 12 requires Community Justice Scotland to keep proper accounts and records and to prepare a statement of accounts in respect of each financial year.

Sections 13 and 14 make provision for community justice partners and third sector bodies involved in community justice and these Regulations bring into force the remaining parts of those provisions which were not brought into force by section 41(1) of the Act.

Sections 19 to 22 relate to the preparation and publication of a community justice outcomes improvement plan by the relevant community justice partners. Section 23 relates to reports by the relevant community justice partners on performance in relation to community justice outcomes. Section 24 provides that community justice partners must have regard to guidance prepared by the Scottish Ministers in relation to the exercise of functions conferred by sections 19 to 23.

Regulation 3 of these Regulations makes transitional provision in relation to section 12 (accounts) which provides that the first financial year runs from 1st October 2016 until 31st March 2017.

The Bill for the Act received Royal Assent on 21st March 2016. Sections 1, 2, 13(1), 14(1) to (6), 15, 17, 37, 39 and 40 to 42 came into force on 22nd March 2016.