F13Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971

1971 c. 58

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

Annotations:
Amendments (Textual)
F13

Act (except for ss. 2(3), 3(4)) repealed (S.) (1.4.2015 except for the repeal of ss. 31, 35, 36(2)(3), 36A, 36B, 37, 38, 45, 22.9.2015 for the repeal of ss. 31, 37(1)(b)(2A)(2D), 28.11.2016 for the repeal of ss. 35(2)-(4), 36A, 36B, 37(2B)(2C) and the repeal of specified words in s. 38(b)) by Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (asp 18), s. 138(2), sch. 5 para. 6(2); S.S.I. 2015/77, art. 2(2)(3), sch. (with art. 7); S.S.I. 2015/247, art. 2, sch. (with art. 9); S.S.I. 2016/291, art. 2, sch. (with art. 3(1)(2))

Part I Constitution, Organisation and Administration

F13 General duty of the Secretary of State

F131 Secretary of State to be responsible for organisation and administration of sheriff courts.

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Sheriffdoms

2 Power of Secretary of State to alter sheriffdoms.

F131

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F132

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F132A

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F132B

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F93

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F134

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F135

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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.

F131

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F132

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F132A

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F132B

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F133

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F104

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F135

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F135A

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F136

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F13 Sheriffs principal and sheriffs

F11F124 Offices of sheriff principal and sheriff.

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F135 Qualification for offices of sheriff principal and sheriff.

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F135ARetiring age for sheriff principal and sheriff.

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F136 Disqualification of sheriffs principal and sheriffs.

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F137 Jurisdiction of sheriff.

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F138 Sheriff may be appointed to assist Secretary of State.

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F13 Functions of the Secretary of State in relation to sheriffs principal, sheriffs, et ceteralaetc.

F139 Power of Secretary of State to give administrative directions.

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F1310 Secretary of State may authorise sheriff principal or direct sheriff to act in another sheriffdom.

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F1311 Secretary of State may appoint temporary sheriffs principal and sheriffs.

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F1311A Appointment of part-time sheriffs

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F1311B Limitation, termination etc. of appointment of part-time sheriffs

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F1311C Removal of part-time sheriffs from office

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F1311D Regulations and orders under sections 11A and 11C

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F1312 Removal from office, and suspension, of sheriff principal or sheriff.

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F13Consideration of fitness for, and removal from, shrieval office

F1312ATribunal to consider fitness for shrieval office

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F1312BSuspension during investigation

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F1312CFurther provision about tribunals

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F1312DReport of tribunal

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F1312ERemoval from office

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F1312FInterpretation of sections 12A to 12E

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F1313 Functions of Secretary of State with respect to residence and leave of absence of sheriffs principal.

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F1314 Functions of Secretary of State with respect to number, residence and place of duties of sheriffs.

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F1314ARe-employment of retired sheriffs principal and sheriffs

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F13 Functions of the sheriff principal in relation to sheriffs, et ceteralaetc.

F1315Efficient disposal of business in sheriff courts

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F1316 Functions of sheriff principal with respect to duties and leave of absence of sheriffs.

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F1317 Sheriff principal may fix sittings and business of sheriff courts in sheriffdom, and sessions for civil business.

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F1317ALord President's power to exercise functions in sections 15 to 17

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F1318 Secretary of State may exercise certain functions of sheriff principal in certain circumstances.

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F13 Miscellaneous

F1319 Travelling allowances for sheriffs principal.

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F1320 Extension of purposes for which Lord Advocate may give instructions to procurators fiscal.

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F1321. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1322 Saving for existing functions.

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F13Part II Court houses, buildings and offices

F1323 Transfer of court houses to Secretary of State.

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F1324 Provision and maintenance of court houses by Secretary of State.

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F1325 Use of public buildings for holding of courts.

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F1326 Use of court houses by third parties.

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F1327 Compensation for officers and servants.

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F1328 Repeal and amendment of local enactments.

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F1329 Determination of disputes.

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F1330 Interpretation of Part II.

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Part III Civil jurisdiction, procedure and appeals

F1331 Upper limit to privative jurisdiction of sheriff court to be £250.

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F13 Regulation of procedure in civil proceedings

F1332 Power of Court of Session to regulate civil procedure in sheriff court.

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F1332ARules for lay representation

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F1333 Sheriff Court Rules Council.

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F1334 Functions of Sheriff Court Rules Council.

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Summary causes

C135 Summary causes.

C51

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 F1£5000 in amount (exclusive of interest and expenses);

b

actions of multiplepoinding, actions of furthcoming F2. . . , where the value of the fundin medio, or the value of the arrested fund or subject, F2. . . as the case may be, does not exceed F3£5000 (exclusive of interest and expenses);

C2c

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 F4£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.

F51A

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.

F142

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F143

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F144

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36 Procedure in summary causes.

F131

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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.

C33

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

F134

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F1536A Further provisions as to small claims.

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F1636B Expenses in small claims.

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37 Remits.

1

In the case of any ordinary cause brought in the sheriff court the sheriff F6—

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

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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

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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.

F132A

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F132B

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F132C

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F132D

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F183

A decision—

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to remit, or not to remit, under subsection (2A) F19 (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.

C638 Appeal in summary causes. C4

In the case of F7—

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

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any summary cause F17... 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.

F13 Miscellaneous and supplemental

F1339. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1340. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1341 Power of Her Majesty to vary limit to privative jurisdiction of sheriff court, etc.

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F1342 Application of provisions regarding jurisdiction and summary causes.

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Part IV Miscellaneous and General

F1343 Orders, etc.

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F1344 Expenses.

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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 F8part-time sheriff and an honorary sheriff, and references to the office of sheriff include references to an appointment as a F8part-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.

F1346 Amendment and repeal of enactments.

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F1347 Short title, commencement and extent.

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SCHEDULES

F13SCHEDULE 1 Minor and Consequential Amendment of Enactments

Section 46(1).

F13 General

F131

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F13 The Execution of Diligence (Scotland) Act 1926

F132

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F13 The Tenancy of Shops (Scotland) Act 1949

F133

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F134

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F13 SCHEDULE 2 Repeal of Enactments

Section 46(2).

F13Part I General Repeals

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F13Part II Repeals Consequent on Sections 35 to 38 of this Act

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