Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975

Notice of previous convictions

68 Notice of previous convictions

(1) No mention shall be made in the indictment of previous convictions, nor shall extracts of previous convictions be included in the list of productions annexed to the indictment.

(2) If the prosecutor desires to place before the court any previous conviction, he shall cause to be served on the accused along with the indictment a notice in the form of Form No. 1 of Schedule 7 to the [1949 c. 94.] Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1949 or in the form set out in an Act of Adjournal under this Act or as nearly as may be in such form, and any conviction set forth in that notice shall be held to apply to the accused unless he gives, in accordance with subsection (3) of this section, written intimation objecting to such conviction on the ground that it does not apply to him or is otherwise inadmissible.

(3) Where the accused pleads not guilty at the first diet, intimation objecting to a conviction under subsection (2) of this section shall be given, at least five clear days before the second diet, to the Crown Agent, where the accused is cited to the High Court for the second diet, or to the procurator fiscal of the district to the court of which the accused is cited for the second diet where the case is to be tried in the sheriff court; and where the accused pleads guilty at the first diet, no objection to any such conviction shall be entertained unless the accused has, at least two clear days before that diet, given intimation to the procurator fiscal of the district to the court of which the accused is cited for that diet.

(4) Where notice is given by the accused under section 102 of this Act of his intention to plead guilty and the prosecutor desires to place before the court any previous conviction, he shall cause to be served on the accused along with the indictment a notice in the form of Form No. 1 of Schedule 7 to the [1949 c. 94.] Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1949 or in the form set out in an Act of Adjournal under this Act or as nearly as may be in such form, and any conviction set forth in that notice shall be held to apply to the accused unless within two days after service of the notice he gives to the procurator fiscal written intimation objecting to such conviction on the ground that it does not apply to him or is otherwise inadmissible.