Scottish Statutory Instruments
2021 No. 39 (C. 2)
Criminal Law
The Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2014 (Commencement No. 8) Order 2021
Made 22nd January 2021
Laid before the Scottish Parliament 26th January 2021
Coming into force 24th February 2021

The Scottish Ministers make the following Order in exercise of the powers conferred by section 34(2) of the Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2014.
2014 asp 1.

Citation and commencement
1. This Order may be cited as the Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2014 (Commencement No. 8) Order 2021 and comes into force on 24 February 2021.

Day appointed
2. 24 February 2021 is the day appointed for the coming into force of section 5 of the Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2014.
Section 5 was amended by S.S.I. 2015/ 444.
HUMZA YOUSAF
A member of the Scottish Government
St Andrew’s House,
Edinburgh
22nd January 2021

EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Order)
This Order commences section 5 of the Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2014 (“the 2014 Act”) on 24 February 2021.
Section 5 of the 2014 Act enables the Scottish Ministers to issue guidance about the use of restorative justice services and to specify, via subordinate legislation, the persons who must have regard to the guidance.
The Bill for the 2014 Act received Royal Assent on 17 January 2014. The following sections of the 2014 Act came into force on the following day: sections 30 (in part), 31 (in part), 32, 33, 34 and 35.

NOTE AS TO EARLIER COMMENCEMENT ORDERS
(This note is not part of the Order)
The following provisions of the 2014 Act have been brought into force by commencement order made before the date of this Order.
Provision	Date of Commencement	S.S.I. No.
Section 1	30 January 2015	2014/359
Section 2 (in part)	13 August 2014	2014/210
Section 2 (in so far as not already in force)	30 January 2015	2014/359
Section 3	30 January 2015	2014/359
Section 4	1 July 2015	2015/200
Section 6 (in part)	13 August 2014	2014/210
Section 6 (in part)	30 January 2015	2014/359
Section 7	1 September 2015	2015/200
Section 8	13 August 2014	2014/210
Sections 10 to 22	1 September 2015	2015/200
Section 23 (in part)	13 August 2014	2014/210
Section 23 (in so far as not already in force)	10 February 2021	2020/405
Section 25 (in part)	25 August 2020	2020/237
Section 25 (in so far as not already in force)	10 February 2021	2020/405
Section 26 (in part)	13 August 2014	2014/210
Section 26 (in part)	25 November 2019	2019/283
Sections 27 to 29	13 August 2014	2014/210
Section 30 (in so far as not already in force)	1 July 2014	2014/117
Section 31(2) (in part)	16 May 2014	2014/117
Section 31 (in so far as not already in force)	1 July 2014	2014/117
Sections 1A, 3A to 3J, 9A to 9E, 27A, 29A and 29B were added to the 2014 Act by the Victims’ Rights (Scotland) Regulations 2015 (S.S.I. 2015/444) which came into force on 23 December 2015.