(1)At the first diet the procurator fiscal of the district in which such diet is called shall represent Her Majesty's Advocate, unless an advocate depute or the procurator fiscal of the district of the second diet shall do so. Where the case is one the second diet of which is to be in the sheriff court, the sheriff shall proceed according to the existing law and practice as varied by this Part of this Act, and where the sheriff presiding is not the sheriff of the court of the second diet, he shall have all the powers exercised under the existing law and practice by a sheriff at a first diet.
(2)Where the accused pleads guilty in whole or in part, the sheriff shall have power to adjourn the case to another sitting of his court with a view to considering what sentence should be pronounced, whether the case be one the second diet of which is to be called in his own or another court; and where the second diet is fixed for a different court any interlocutor disposing of any preliminary plea, any plea tendered, any interlocutor adjourning the case, or any sentence pronounced shall be written on the record copy of the indictment.
(3)Where the accused pleads guilty to the indictment or any part thereof, he shall be required to sign the same if he be able to write; and in every case the sheriff shall append his signature to the plea recorded.
(4)Where—
(a)the accused pleads guilty only to a part of the charge, or to a minor offence included in the charge, and the prosecutor does not accept such plea, or
(b)where on a plea of guilty to the whole charge the sheriff shall consider it expedient in the circumstances, whether on the representation of the accused or otherwise, that the sentence to be pronounced should be determined by the sheriff of the district in which the second diet is to be called,
the sheriff shall sign an interlocutor on said record copy in the form set out in Schedule H to the [1887 c. 35.] Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1887 or in an Act of Adjournal under this Act or as nearly as may be in such form, and the sheriff clerk shall record any interlocutor signed, plea tendered or sentence pronounced, in the books of court, or in a record to be kept for the purpose, and shall forthwith transmit the record copy of the indictment to the sheriff clerk of the district of the court of the second diet.
(5)Nothing contained in this section shall require a plea tendered by or on behalf of a company to be signed.