Royal arms

F1Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971

1971 CHAPTER 58

An Act to amend the law with respect to sheriff courts in Scotland, and for purposes connected therewith.

Part I Constitution, Organisation and Administration

F1 General duty of the Secretary of State

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sheriffdoms

2 Power of Secretary of State to alter sheriffdoms.

F1(1)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1(2)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1(2A)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1(2B)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F2(3)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1(4)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1(5)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sheriff court districts and places where sheriff courts are to be held

3 Sheriff court districts and places where sheriff courts are to be held.

F1(1)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1(2)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1(2A)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1(2B)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1(3)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F3(4)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1(5)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1(5A)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1(6)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1 Sheriffs principal and sheriffs

F4F54 Offices of sheriff principal and sheriff.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F15 Qualification for offices of sheriff principal and sheriff.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F15ARetiring age for sheriff principal and sheriff.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F16 Disqualification of sheriffs principal and sheriffs.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F17 Jurisdiction of sheriff.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F18 Sheriff may be appointed to assist Secretary of State.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1 Functions of the Secretary of State in relation to sheriffs principal, sheriffs, et ceteralaetc.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1Consideration of fitness for, and removal from, shrieval office

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1 Functions of the sheriff principal in relation to sheriffs, et ceteralaetc.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1 Miscellaneous

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1Part II Court houses, buildings and offices

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Part III Civil jurisdiction, procedure and appeals

F131 Upper limit to privative jurisdiction of sheriff court to be £250.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1 Regulation of procedure in civil proceedings

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Summary causes

35 Summary causes.

(1)

The definition of “summary cause” contained in paragraph (i) of section 3 of the M1Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1907 shall cease to have effect, and for the purposes of the procedure and practice in civil proceedings in the sheriff court there shall be a form of process, to be known as a “summary cause”, which shall be used for the purposes of all civil proceedings brought in that court, being proceedings of one or other of the following descriptions, namely—

(a)

actions for payment of money not exceeding F6£5000 in amount (exclusive of interest and expenses);

(b)

actions of multiplepoinding, actions of furthcoming F7. . . , where the value of the fundin medio, or the value of the arrested fund or subject, F7. . . as the case may be, does not exceed F8£5000 (exclusive of interest and expenses);

(c)

actionsad factum praestandum and actions for the recovery of possession of heritable or moveable property, other than actions in which there is claimed in addition, or as an alternative, to a decreead factum praestandumor for such recovery, as the case may be, a decree for payment of money exceeding F9£5000 in amount (exclusive of interest and expenses);

(d)

proceedings which, according to the law and practice existing immediately before the commencement of this Act, might competently be brought in the sheriff’s small debt court or were required to be conducted and disposed of in the summary manner in which proceedings were conducted and disposed of under the Small Debt Acts;

and any reference in the following provisions of this Act, or in any other enactment (whether passed or made before or after the commencement of this Act) relating to civil procedure in the sheriff court, to a summary cause shall be construed as a reference to a summary cause within the meaning of this subsection.

F10(1A)

For the avoidance of doubt it is hereby declared that nothing in subsection (1) above shall prevent the Court of Session from making different rules of procedure and practice in relation to different descriptions of summary cause proceedings.

F11(2)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F11(3)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F11(4)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

36 Procedure in summary causes.

F1(1)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2)

A summary cause shall be commenced by a summons in, or as nearly as is practicable in, such form as may be prescribed by rules under the said section 32.

(3)

The evidence, if any, given in a summary cause shall not be recorded.

F1(4)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1236A Further provisions as to small claims.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1336B Expenses in small claims.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

37 Remits.

(1)

In the case of any ordinary cause brought in the sheriff court the sheriff F14—

(a)

shall at any stage, on the joint motion of the parties to the cause, direct that the cause be treated as a summary cause, and in that case the cause shall be treated for all purposes (including appeal) as a summary cause and shall proceed accordingly

F1(b)

. . . . . .

(2)

In the case of any summary cause, the sheriff at any stage—

(a)

shall, on the joint motion of the parties to the cause, and

(b)

may, on the motion of any of the parties to the cause, if he is of the opinion that the importance or difficulty of the cause makes it appropriate to do so,

direct that the cause be treated as an ordinary cause, and in that case the cause shall be treated for all purposes (including appeal) as an ordinary cause and shall proceed accordingly:

Provided that a direction under this subsection may, in the case of an action for the recovery of possession of heritable or moveable property, be given by the sheriff of his own accord.

F1(2A)

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1(2B)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1(2C)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1(2D)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F15(3)

A decision—

(a)

to remit, or not to remit, under subsection (2A) F16 (2B) or (2C) above; or

(b)

to make, or not to make, a direction by virtue of paragraph ( b ) of, or the proviso to, subsection (2) above,

shall not be subject to review; but from a decision to remit, or not to remit, under subsection (1)( b ) above an appeal shall lie to the Court of Session.

(4)

In this section “sheriff” includes a sheriff principal.

38 Appeal in summary causes.

In the case of F17—

(a)

any summary cause an appeal shall lie to the sheriff principal on any point of law from the final judgment of the sheriff; and

(b)

any summary cause F18... an appeal shall lie to the Court of Session on any point of law from the final judgment of the sheriff principal, if the sheriff principal certifies the cause as suitable for such an appeal,

but save as aforesaid an interlocutor of the sheriff or the sheriff principal in any such cause shall not be subject to review.

F1 Miscellaneous and supplemental

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Part IV Miscellaneous and General

F143 Orders, etc.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F144 Expenses.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

45 Interpretation.

(1)

In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears—

(a)

references to a sheriff principal include references to a temporary sheriff principal, and references to the office of sheriff principal include references to an appointment as a temporary sheriff principal;

(b)

references to a sheriff include references to a F19part-time sheriff and an honorary sheriff, and references to the office of sheriff include references to an appointment as a F19part-timesheriff and to the office of honorary sheriff;

(c)

references to an honorary sheriff are references to a person holding the office of honorary sheriff in his capacity as such.

(2)

In this Act—

(a)

“enactment” includes an order, regulation, rule or other instrument having effect by virtue of an Act;

(b)

any reference to any enactment shall, unless the contrary intention appears, be construed as a reference to that enactment as amended or extended, and as including a reference thereto as applied, by or under any other enactment (including this Act).

(3)

Subject to the foregoing provisions of this section and to any other express provision of this Act, expressions used in this Act and in the M2Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1907 shall have the same meanings in this Act as in that Act.

F146 Amendment and repeal of enactments.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F147 Short title, commencement and extent.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SCHEDULES

F1SCHEDULE 1 Minor and Consequential Amendment of Enactments

Section 46(1).

F1 General

F11

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1 The Execution of Diligence (Scotland) Act 1926

F12

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1 The Tenancy of Shops (Scotland) Act 1949

F13

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F14

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1 SCHEDULE 2 Repeal of Enactments

Section 46(2).

F1Part I General Repeals

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1Part II Repeals Consequent on Sections 35 to 38 of this Act

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .