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.