(1)Where a person is convicted in the High Court or the sheriff court of an offence, other than an offence the sentence for which is fixed by law, punishable by that court with imprisonment, and the following conditions are satisfied, that is to say—
(a)the court is satisfied, on the written or oral evidence of two medical practitioners (complying with the provisions of section 176 of this Act) that the offender is suffering from mental disorder of a nature or degree which, in the case of a person under 21 years of age, would warrant his admission to a hospital or his reception into guardianship under Part IV of the [1960 c. 61.] Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1960, and
(b)the court is of opinion, having regard to all the circum stances including the nature of the offence and the character and antecedents of the offender, and to the other available methods of dealing with him, that the most suitable method of disposing of the case is by means of an order under this section,
the court may by order authorise his admission to and detention in such hospital as may be specified in the order or, as the case may be, place him under the guardianship of such local authority or of such other person approved by a local authority as may be so specified:
Provided that, where his case is remitted by the sheriff to the High Court for sentence under any enactment, the power to make an order under this subsection shall be exercisable by that court.
(2)Where it appears to the prosecutor in any court before which a person is charged with an offence that the person may be suffering from mental disorder, it shall be the duty of such prosecutor to bring before the court such evidence as may be available of the mental condition of that person.
(3)An order for the admission of a person to a hospital (in this Act, referred to as " a hospital order ") shall not be made under this section in respect of an offender unless the court is satisfied that that hospital, in the event of such an order being made by the court, is available for his admission thereto within 28 days of the making of such an order.
(4)A State hospital shall not be specified in a hospital order in respect of the detention of a person unless the court is satisfied, on the evidence of the medical practitioners which is taken into account under paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of this section, that the offender, on account of his dangerous, violent or criminal propensities, requires treatment under conditions of special security, and cannot suitably be cared for in a hospital other than a State hospital.
(5)An order placing a person under the guardianship of a local authority or of any other person (in this Act referred to as " a guardianship order ") shall not be made under this section unless the court is satisfied that that authority or person is willing to receive that person into guardianship.
(6)A hospital order or guardianship order shall specify the form of mental disorder, being mental illness or mental deficiency or both, from which, upon the evidence taken into account under paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of this section, the offender is found by the court to be suffering; and no such order shall be made unless the offender is described by each of the practitioners, whose evidence is taken into account as aforesaid, as suffering from the same form of mental disorder, whether or not he is also described by either of them as suffering from the other form.
(7)Where an order is made under this section, the court shall not pass sentence of imprisonment or impose a fine or make a probation order in respect of the offence, but may make any other order which the court has power to make apart from this section; and for the purposes of this subsection " sentence of imprisonment" includes any sentence or order for detention.