Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975

On an application being made to a sheriff or justice alleging that any person is— the sheriff or justice may issue a warrant to arrest him and bring him before any sheriff.

Where a person is brought before a sheriff in pursuance of a warrant for his arrest under this section, the sheriff shall, if satisfied that he is the person named in the warrant and if satisfied as to the facts mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b) of the foregoing subsection, order him to be returned to the prison or other institution where he is required or liable to be detained or, in the case of a convicted mental patient, order him to be kept in custody or detained in a place of safety pending his admission to hospital.

Section 139 of the Mental Health Act 1959, section 105 of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1960 and section 107 of the Mental Health Act (Northern Ireland) 1961 (custody, conveyance and detention of certain mental patients) shall apply to a convicted mental patient required by this section to be conveyed to any place or to be kept in custody or detained in a place of safety as they apply to a person required by or by virtue of the said Act of 1959, 1960 or 1961, as the case may be, to be so conveyed, kept or detained.

In this section—

If, on an application to a justice by any person who, in the opinion of the justice, is acting in the interests of a child, it appears to the justice on information on oath that there is reasonable cause to suspect— the justice may issue a warrant authorising any constable named therein to search for the child and, if it is found that he has been or is being assaulted, ill-treated or neglected in manner aforesaid, or that any such offence as aforesaid has been or is being committed in respect of him, to take him to and detain him in a place of safety, or authorising any constable to remove him with or without search to a place of safety and detain him there.

A child shall not continue to be detained under the last foregoing subsection—

A justice issuing a warrant under this section may by the same warrant cause any person accused of any offence in respect of the child to be apprehended and brought before the sheriff, and proceedings to be taken against him according to law.

Any constable authorised by warrant under this section to search for or, with or without search, to remove any child may enter (if need be by force) any house, building, or other place specified in the warrant, and may remove him therefrom.

Every warrant issued under this section shall be addressed to and executed by a constable, who shall be accompanied by the person making the application if that person so desires, unless the justice by whom the warrant is issued otherwise directs, and may also, if the justice by whom the warrant is issued so directs, be accompanied by a duly qualified medical practitioner.

It shall not be necessary in any application, information or warrant under this section to name the child.

Any warrant granted by a sheriff against— shall be sufficient for the apprehension of that person within any other sheriff court district, and for conveying and disposing of him in terms of the warrant, without the necessity of its being backed or endorsed by any other justice.

Such warrant may be executed throughout Scotland in like manner as it may be executed within the jurisdiction of the sheriff who granted the warrant.

A warrant issued in the Isle of Man for the arrest of a person charged with an offence may, after it has been endorsed by a justice in Scotland, be executed there by the person bringing that warrant, by any person to whom the warrant was originally directed or by any officer of law of the sheriff court district where the warrant has been endorsed as aforesaid in like manner as any such warrant issued in Scotland.

In this section “endorsed” means endorsed in the like manner as a process to which section 4 of the Summary Jurisdiction (Process) Act 1881 applies.

A warrant issued in Scotland for the apprehension of a person charged with an offence may be executed in England by any constable acting within his police area; and subsections (3) and (4) of section 102 of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1952 (execution on Sunday and execution without possession of the warrant) shall apply to the execution in England of any such warrant.

A warrant issued in England for the arrest of a person charged with an offence may be executed in Scotland by any constable appointed for a police area in like manner as any such warrant issued in Scotland.

A warrant may be executed by virtue of this section whether or not it has been endorsed under section 14 or 15 of the Indictable Offences Act 1848.

Nothing in this section affects the execution in Scotland of a warrant to which section 123 of the Bankruptcy Act 1914 applies.

Without prejudice to any other powers of arrest, any constable may take into custody, without warrant—

Where, under the powers conferred by this section, a constable arrests any person without warrant, the superintendent or inspector of police or an officer of police of equal or superior rank, or the officer in charge of the police station to which the person is brought, shall, unless in his belief the release of the person would tend to defeat the ends of justice, or to cause injury or danger to the child (being a person under the age of 17 years) against whom the offence is alleged to have been committed, release the person arrested on his entering into an obligation to attend at the hearing of the charge or on his finding bail for such amount as may in the judgment of the officer of police be required to secure his attendance.

Where any person has been arrested on any criminal charge, such person shall be entitled immediately upon such arrest to have intimation sent to a solicitor that his professional assistance is required by such person, and informing him of the place to which such person is to be taken for examination.

Such solicitor shall be entitled to have a private interview with the person accused before he is examined on declaration, and to be present at such examination.

It shall be in the power of the sheriff or justice to delay such examination for a period not exceeding 48 hours from and after the time of such person's arrest, in order to allow time for the attendance of such solicitor.

Where the accused is brought before the sheriff for examination on any charge and he or his solicitor intimates that he does not desire to emit a declaration in regard to such charge, it shall be unnecessary to take a declaration, and the accused may be committed for further examination or until liberated in due course of law without a declaration being taken.

Where the accused does not desire to emit a declaration as aforesaid, that fact shall be recorded in the warrant of committal.

The foregoing provisions of this section shall not prejudice the right of the accused subsequently to emit a declaration on intimating to the prosecutor his desire to do so.

The provisions of this section shall apply to procedure under indictment, without prejudice to the accused being tried summarily by the sheriff for any offence in respect of which he has been committed until liberated in due course of law.

All informations shall be signed and no person shall be committed until liberated in due course of law for any crime or offence without a warrant in writing expressing the particular charge in respect of which he is committed.

Any such warrant for imprisonment which either proceeds on an unsigned information or does not express the particular charge shall be null and void.

The accused person shall immediately be given a true copy of the warrant for imprisonment signed by the messenger or executor of the warrant before imprisonment or the warder of the prison receiving the warrant.

Where a court remands or commits for trial or for sentence a person under 21 years of age who is charged with or convicted of an offence and is not released on bail, then, except as otherwise expressly provided by this section, the following provisions shall have effect, that is to say—

Where any person is committed to a local authority or to a remand centre under any provision of this Act, that authority or centre shall be specified in the warrant, and he shall be detained by the authority or in the centre for the period for which he is committed or until he is liberated in due course of law.

Where any person has been committed to a local authority under any provision of this Act, the court by which he was committed, if the person so committed is not less than 14 years of age and it appears to the court that he is unruly or depraved, may revoke the commitment and commit the said person—

Where, in the case of a person under 16 years of age who has been committed to prison or to a remand centre under this section, the sheriff is satisfied that his detention in prison or a remand centre is no longer necessary, he may revoke the commitment and commit the person to the local authority in whose area the court is situated, and the authority shall have the duty of placing him in a suitable place of safety.

Any court, on remanding or committing for trial a child who is not liberated on bail shall, instead of committing him to prison, commit him to the local authority in whose area the court is situated to be detained in a place of safety chosen by the local authority for the period for which he is remanded or until he is liberated in due course of law. Provided that in the case of a child over 14 years of age it shall not be obligatory on the court so to commit him if the court certifies that he is of so unruly a character that he cannot safely be so committed or that he is of so depraved a character that he is not a fit person to be so detained.

A commitment under this section may be varied, or, in the case of a child over 14 years of age, who proves to be of so unruly a character that he cannot safely be detained in such custody, or to be of so depraved a character that he is not a fit person to be so detained, revoked, by the court which made the order, or if application cannot conveniently be made to that court, by a sheriff sitting summarily having jurisdiction in the place where the court which made the order sat, and if it is revoked the child may be committed to prison.

Where a court remands or commits for trial a person charged with any offence who appears to the court to be suffering from mental disorder, and the court is satisfied that a hospital is available for his admission and suitable for his detention, the court may, instead of remanding him in custody, commit him to that hospital.

Where any person is committed to a hospital as aforesaid, the hospital shall be specified in the warrant and, if the responsible medical officer is satisfied that he is suffering from mental disorder of a nature or degree which warrants his admission to a hospital under Part IV of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1960, he shall there be detained for the period for which he is remanded or the period of committal, unless before the expiration of that period he is liberated in due course of law.

When the responsible medical officer has examined the person so detained he shall report the result of that examination to the court and, where the report is to the effect that the person is not suffering from mental disorder of such a nature or degree as aforesaid, the court may commit him to any prison or other institution to which he might have been committed had he not been committed to hospital or may otherwise deal with him according to law.

No person shall be committed to a hospital under this section except on the written or oral evidence of a medical practitioner.

All crimes and offences, except murder and treason, shall be bail able.

Any person accused of a crime which is by law bail able shall be entitled immediately after he has been brought before a justice for examination on declaration to apply to such justice or to the sheriff for liberation on his finding caution in common form to appear at any diet to which he may be cited for further examination, or in order to answer any indictment or complaint which may be served upon him: Provided that the prosecutor shall be entitled to be heard against any such application.

The sheriff or justice shall be entitled in his discretion to refuse such application before the person accused is committed until liberated in due course of law.

Where an accused person is admitted to bail without being committed until liberated in due course of law, it shall not be necessary so to commit him, and it shall be lawful to serve him with an indictment or complaint without his having been previously so committed.

Any sheriff having jurisdiction to try the offence or to commit the accused until liberated in due course of law may, at his discretion, on the application of any person who has been committed until liberation in due course of law for any crime or offence, except murder or treason, and after opportunity shall have been given to the prosecutor to be heard thereon, admit or refuse to admit such person to bail.

Such application shall be disposed of within 24 hours after its presentation to the sheriff, failing which the accused shall be forthwith liberated.

The following provisions of this section shall apply where a court has refused to admit a person to bail or, where a court has so admitted a person, the bail fixed in his case has not been found.

A court shall, on the application of any such person as aforesaid, have power to review its decision to admit to bail or its decision as to the bail fixed and may, on cause shown, admit the person to bail or, as the case may be, fix bail at a lower amount.

An application under this section, where it relates to the original decision of the court, shall not be made before the fifth day after that decision and, where it relates to a subsequent decision, before the fifteenth day thereafter.

Nothing in the provisions of this section shall affect any right of a person to appeal against the decision of a court in relation to admitting to bail or to the bail fixed.

In the foregoing provisions of this section, any reference to bail includes a reference to caution for interim liberation and any reference to admitting to bail shall include a reference to ordering the finding of caution as aforesaid.

Where an application for bail after commitment until liberation in due course of law is refused by any sheriff, or where the applicant is dissatisfied with the amount of bail fixed, he may appeal to the High Court, and the High Court may, in its discretion, order intimation to the Lord Advocate.

Where an application for bail is granted by any sheriff, whether before or after commitment until liberation in due course of law, the public prosecutor, if dissatisfied with the decision allowing bail, or with the amount of bail fixed, may appeal to the High Court, and the applicant shall not be liberated until the appeal by the prosecutor is disposed of, except as provided in section 33 of this Act.

Written notice of appeal shall be immediately given to the opposite party by the party appealing under this section.

An appeal under this section shall be disposed of by the High Court or any Lord Commissioner of Justiciary in court or in chambers after such inquiry and hearing of parties as shall seem just.

In the event of the appeal of the public prosecutor under this section being refused, the court may award expenses against him.

When an appeal is taken by the public prosecutor either against the grant of bail or against the amount fixed, the applicant to whom bail has been granted shall, if the bail fixed shall have been found by him, be liberated after 72 hours, or where the place of application is in the Outer Hebrides, or in Orkney or Zetland, 96 hours from the granting of the application, whether the appeal be disposed of or not, unless the High Court shall grant an order for his further detention in custody. In computing the aforesaid periods, Sundays and public holidays, whether general or court holidays, shall be excluded.

Notice by telegraph to the governor of the prison of the issue of such an order within the time aforesaid bearing to be sent by the Clerk of Justiciary or the Crown Agent shall be sufficient warrant for the detention of the applicant pending arrival of the order in due course of post.

Where a child has been charged with any offence, the court may order his parent or guardian to give security for his co-operation in securing the child's good behaviour.

An order under this section may be made against a parent or guardian who, having been required to attend, has failed to do so, but, save as aforesaid, no such order shall be made without giving the parent or guardian an opportunity of being heard.

Any sums ordered on forfeiture of any such security as aforesaid to be paid by a parent or guardian may be recovered from him by civil diligence or imprisonment in like manner as if the order had been made on the conviction of the parent or guardian of the offence with which the child was charged.

Where a child is charged with any offence, his parent or guardian may in any case, and shall, if he can be found and resides within a reasonable distance, be required to attend at the court before which the case is heard or determined during all the stages of the proceedings, unless the court is satisfied that it would be unreasonable to require his attendance.

Where the child is arrested, the constable by whom he is arrested or the officer of police in charge of the police station to which he is brought shall cause the parent or guardian of the child, if he can be found, to be warned to attend at the court before which the child will appear.

For the purpose of enforcing the attendance of a parent or guardian and enabling him to take part in the proceedings and enabling orders to be made against him, rules may be made under section 457 of this Act, for applying, with the necessary adaptations and modifications, such of the provisions of Part II of this Act as appear appropriate for the purpose.

The parent or guardian whose attendance shall be required under this section shall be the parent or guardian having the actual possession and control of the child: Provided that, if that person is not the father, the attendance of the father may also be required.

The attendance of the parent of a child shall not be required under this section in any case where the child was before the institution of the proceedings removed from the custody or charge of his parent by an order of a court.

Where a child is to be brought before a court, notification of the day and hour when, and the nature of the charge on which, the child is to be so brought shall be sent by the chief constable of the area in which the offence is alleged to have been committed to the local authority for the area in which the court will sit.

Where a local authority have received a notification under the foregoing subsection they shall make such investigations and render to the court a report which shall contain such information as to the home surroundings of the child as appear to them will assist the court in the disposal of his case, and the report shall contain information, which the appropriate education authority shall have a duty to supply, as to the school record, health and character of the child.

The latitude formerly in use to be taken in stating time in indictments at the instance of Her Majesty's Advocate shall be implied in all statements of time where an exact time is not of the essence of the charge.

The latitude formerly in use to be taken in stating any place in such indictments by adding to the word " at " , or to the word " in ", the words " or near ", or the words " or in the near neighbourhood thereof" or similar words, shall be implied in all statements of place where the actual place is not of the essence of the charge.

Where the circumstances of the offence charged make it necessary to take an exceptional latitude in regard to time or place it shall not be necessary to set forth such circumstances in the indictment, or to set forth that the particular time or the particular place is to the prosecutor unknown: Provided that where exceptional latitude is taken, the court shall, if satisfied that such exceptional latitude was not reasonable in the circumstances of the case, give such remedy to the person accused by adjournment of the trial or otherwise as shall seem just.

Any deletion or correction made before service on the principal record or service copy of an indictment shall be sufficiently authenticated by the initials of any person who has signed, or could by law have signed, the same.

Any deletion or correction made on a service copy of an indictment, or on any notice of citation, postponement, adjournment or other notice required to be served on a person accused or on any execution of citation or notice of other document requiring to be served shall be sufficiently authenticated by the initials of the person serving the same.

Under an indictment for robbery, or for theft, or for breach of trust and embezzlement, or for falsehood fraud and wilful imposition, a person accused may be convicted of reset.

Under an indictment for robbery, or for breach of trust and embezzlement, or for falsehood fraud and wilful imposition, a person accused may be convicted of theft.

Under an indictment for theft, a person accused may be convicted of breach of trust and embezzlement, or of falsehood fraud and wilful imposition, or may be convicted of theft, although the circumstances proved may in law amount to robbery.

The power conferred by this section to convict a person of an offence other than that with which he is charged in an indictment shall be exercisable by the sheriff court before which such person is tried notwithstanding that that other offence was committed outside the jurisdiction of that sheriff court.

Where in an indictment two or more crimes or acts of crime are charged cumulatively, it shall be lawful to convict of any one or more of them.

Any part of what is charged in an indictment, constituting in itself an indictable crime, shall be deemed separable to the effect of making it lawful to convict of such crime.

Where any crime is charged in an indictment as having been committed with a particular intent or with particular circumstances of aggravation, it shall be lawful to convict of the crime without such intent or aggravation.

Where a person is charged with committing any of the offences mentioned in Schedule 1 to this Act in respect of two or more children under the age of 17 years, the same indictment may charge the offence in respect of all or any of them.

The same indictment may also charge any person as having the custody, charge, or care, alternatively or together, and may charge him with the offences of assault, ill-treatment, neglect, abandonment, or exposure, together or separately, and may charge him with committing all or any of those offences in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health, alternatively or together.

When any offence mentioned in Schedule 1 to this Act charged against any person is a continuous offence, it shall not be necessary to specify in the indictment the date of the acts constituting the offence.

Attempt to commit any indictable crime shall itself be an indictable crime, and under an indictment which charges a completed crime, the accused may be lawfully convicted of an attempt to .commit such crime; and under an indictment charging an attempt, the accused may be convicted of such attempt although the evidence be sufficient to prove the completion of the crime said to have been attempted.

Under an indictment which charges a crime which imports personal injury inflicted by the accused, resulting in death or serious injury to the person, the accused may be lawfully convicted of the assault or other injurious act, and may also be lawfully convicted of the aggravation that such assault or other injurious act was committed with intent to commit such crime.

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.

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 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.

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.

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 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.

It shall be no objection to the service of an indictment, or to the citation of any juror or witness, that the officer who discharged the duty was not at the time in possession of the warrant of citation ; and it shall not be necessary to produce the execution of citation of any indictment, unless sentence of forfeiture of a bond of caution granted for appearance to stand trial shall be moved for, but without prejudice to such execution being exhibited to disprove objections to service when stated to the court.

It shall be no objection to the admissibility of the officer or witness who served such indictment to give evidence respecting such service that his name is not included in the list of witnesses served on the accused.

In any proceedings against a body corporate, the indictment may be served by delivery of a copy of the indictment with notice to appear attached thereto at the registered office or, if there is no registered office or the registered office is not in the United Kingdom, at the principal place of business in the United Kingdom of the body corporate. Where a letter containing a copy of the indictment has been sent by registered post or by the recorded delivery service to the registered office or principal place of business of the body corporate, an acknowledgment or certificate of the delivery of the letter issued by the Post Office shall be sufficient evidence of the delivery of the letter at the registered office or place of business on the day specified in such acknowledgment or certificate.

In any such proceedings as aforesaid the body corporate may, for the purpose of— appear by a representative of the body corporate.

Where at the first diet in any such proceedings as aforesaid the body corporate does not appear or tender any plea in accordance with the provisions of the last foregoing subsection, or by counsel or a solicitor, it shall be deemed to have tendered a plea of not guilty.

Where at the second diet in any such proceedings as aforesaid the body corporate does not appear in accordance with the provisions of subsection (2) of this section, or by counsel or a solicitor, the court shall, on the motion of the prosecutor, if it is satisfied that the provisions of subsection (1) of this section have been complied with, proceed to hear and dispose of the case in the absence of the body corporate.

Where in any such proceedings as aforesaid a body corporate is sentenced to a fine, the fine may be recovered in like manner in all respects as if a copy of the sentence certified by the clerk of the court were an extract decree of the Court of Session for the payment of the amount of the fine by the body corporate to the Queen's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer.

Nothing contained in section 103 or 105 of this Act shall require a plea tendered by or on behalf of a company to be signed.

If on the application of the procurator fiscal, a sheriff is satisfied that there is reasonable ground for suspecting that an offence has been or is being committed by a body corporate, the sheriff shall have the like power to grant warrant for the citation of witnesses and the production of documents and articles as he would have if a petition charging an individual with the commission of the offence were presented to him.

In this section, the expression " representative ", in relation to a body corporate against which such proceedings as aforesaid are brought, means an officer or servant of the body corporate duly appointed by it for the purpose of those proceedings. Such appointment need not be under the seal of the body corporate, and a statement in writing purporting to be signed by the managing director of, or by any person having or being one of the persons having the management of the affairs of the body corporate, to the effect that the person named in the statement has been appointed the representative of the body corporate for the purpose of the said proceedings shall be admissible without further proof as evidence that the person has been appointed.

Where a person is charged on indictment, the notice for the first diet of appearance shall call on that person to appear in the sheriff court before which he appeared on judicial examination unless the Lord Advocate otherwise directs.

The Lord Advocate may make a direction that the first diet of appearance may be taken at a sheriff court other than the sheriff court where the accused appeared on judicial examination either in respect of a class of cases or in respect of particular cases.

The list of witnesses shall consist of the names of the witnesses, with their addresses added, and it shall not be necessary to insert the words " now or lately residing at, " or any similar words, and it shall not be an objection to the admissibility of any witness that he has ceased to reside at the address given before the date of the trial, provided that he resided at such address at some time, not being more than six months previous to the date of the trial.

It shall not be necessary to insert in the list of witnesses the names of any witnesses to the declaration of the accused or the names of any witnesses to prove that an extract conviction applies to the accused, but witnesses may be examined in regard to these matters without previous notice.

It shall not be competent for the accused to state any special defence unless a plea of special defence shall be tendered and recorded at the first diet, or unless cause be shown to the satisfaction of the court for a special defence not having been lodged till a later day, which must in any case not be less than two clear days before the second diet.

It shall not be competent for the accused to examine any witnesses or to put in evidence any productions not included in the lists lodged by the prosecutor, unless written notice of the names and addresses of such witnesses and of such productions shall have been given to the procurator fiscal of the district of the second diet when the case is to be tried in the sheriff court, or to the Crown Agent where the case is to be tried in the High Court, at least three clear days before the day on which the jury is sworn to try the case, or unless the accused shall show before a jury is sworn to try the case that he was unable to give the full notice of three days in regard to any witnesses he may desire to examine or productions he may desire to lodge, and where this is shown the court shall give such remedy to the prosecutor by adjournment or postponement of the trial or otherwise as shall seem just.

A copy of every written notice required by the last foregoing subsection shall be lodged by the accused with the sheriff clerk of the district in which the second diet is to be held, or in any case the second diet of which is to be held in the High Court in Edinburgh with the Clerk of Justiciary, at or before the second diet, for the use of the court.

For the purpose of a trial, the number of jurors required to be returned by the sheriff principal to the court shall be 45, unless otherwise directed.

The Lord Justice Clerk or any Lord Commissioner of Justiciary may direct more than 45 persons to be summoned as jurors to serve in any trial in the High Court.

It shall not be necessary to serve any list of jurors upon the accused, but on and after the date of the service of an indictment a list of jurors, prepared under the directions of the Clerk of Justiciary where the second diet is to be held in the High Court, and prepared by the sheriff clerk of the district in which the second diet for the trial of such person is to be held, where the second diet is to be held in the sheriff court shall be kept in the office of the sheriff clerk of the district in which the court of the second diet is situated, and the accused shall be entitled to have a copy supplied to him on application free of charge.

Such list shall contain not less than 30 names, and shall be headed " List of Assize for the Sitting of the High Court of Justiciary (or, the Sheriff Court of____________ at ______________) on the ___________of ________________19___ ."

Persons cited to attend as jurors may be fined if they fail to attend.

A fine imposed under this section at a sitting of the High Court may, on application, be remitted in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 2 to this Act.

A person shall not be exempted by sex or marriage from the liability to serve as a juror but any judge may, in his discretion, on an application made by or on behalf of the prosecution or the accused or at his own instance, make an order that the jury shall be composed of men only or of women only, as the case may require, or may, on an application made by a woman to be exempted from service on a jury in respect of any case by reason of the nature of the evidence to be given or of the issues to be tried, grant such exemption.

Rules of court may be made by Act of Adjournal—

Any enactment relating to juries which is in force at the commencement of this Act shall have effect subject to the provisions of this section.

Any prisoner who is in prison on a commitment until liberated in due course of law, and who shall not be served with an indictment within 60 days of such commitment, shall be entitled to give notice to the Lord Advocate through the Crown Agent that, if he is not served with an indictment within 14 days of such notice, the prosecutor will be called on to show cause before the High Court why such accused person should not be released from prison and, upon a note being presented to that court setting forth that such notice has been given and that no indictment has been served within that period of 14 days, the court shall ordain the prosecutor forthwith to show cause as aforesaid and, where cause is not shown to the satisfaction of the court, the court shall grant warrant ordering such person to be released at the expiry of three days from the issuing of such order, unless within said three days an indictment be served upon him.

Where any accused person is liberated as aforesaid, it shall be competent for the prosecutor to raise an indictment against him, and to obtain from a judge of the jurisdiction to which he is cited for the second diet, or a judge of the High Court, a warrant authorising his apprehension and recommitment to prison to await his trial on such indictment, and in the event of the trial on such indictment not taking place at the second diet thereof, or any other day to which it may be adjourned or postponed by the court, the High Court shall, upon the application of the accused, made by a note addressed to the court, and after hearing parties, consider the whole circumstances of the case, and may in its discretion order the immediate release of the accused, or may grant warrant ordering him to be released on a day named in the warrant, unless he shall on or before such day be remitted to the knowledge of an assize on indictment, or may decline to pronounce any order.

Where the accused has been incarcerated for 80 days, and an indictment is served upon him, and he is detained in custody after expiry of that period of 80 days, then, unless he is brought to trial and the trial concluded within 110 days of the date of his being committed till liberated in due course of law, he shall be forthwith set at liberty and declared for ever free from all question or process for the crime with which he was charged.

Where the accused has been liberated from prison after having been committed till liberated in due course of law, he shall not be detained in prison more than 110 days in all; but unless his trial is brought to a conclusion before the expiry of the 110th day of confinement in prison subsequent to commitment till liberated in due course of law, he shall be forthwith set at liberty and declared for ever free from all question or process for the crime for which he was committed.

Notwithstanding the generality of the foregoing provisions of this section, in any case brought before it under this section, the High Court may order the accused to be kept in custody, with a view to trial, for such further period or periods as to the court may seem just if the court is satisfied that the trial ought to be allowed to proceed after the expiry of the said period of 110 days where the delay in prosecuting to a verdict is due to—

Where the accused shall give written notice to the Crown Agent through his own procurator that he desires to have his case at once disposed of, and declares his intention to plead guilty, it shall be lawful to serve the accused with an indictment and a notice to appear at a diet not less than four clear days after such notice before the sheriff before whom under this Part of this Act he would be cited to a first diet, and it shall not be necessary to lodge or give notice of any list of witnesses or productions. The notice to appear referred to in this subsection shall be in the form set out in Schedule L to the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1887 or in an Act of Adjournal under this Act or as nearly as may be in such form.

At said diet the sheriff, if any plea of guilty has been accepted by the procurator fiscal, shall deal with the case in like manner as a case where the accused pleads guilty at a first diet: Provided that if the case is such as can be tried only in the High Court, or is of such an aggravated nature that the sheriff shall hold that the question of punishment should be disposed of by that court, the sheriff shall, by interlocutor written on the record copy of the indictment in the form set out in Schedule M to the said Act of 1887 or in an Act of Adjournal under this Act or as nearly as may be in such form, remit the accused to that court for sentence, and such remit shall be a sufficient warrant to bring the accused, without any further notice, before the High Court for sentence at any Sitting at any place that may be convenient, as the Lord Advocate may order, and the original warrant of commitment of such person till liberated in due course of law shall remain in force until he is brought before the High Court for sentence.

If the accused when brought before the sheriff on such indictment shall plead not guilty to the charge or plead guilty only to a part of the charge, and the procurator fiscal shall decline to accept such restricted plea, then the diet shall be deserted pro loco et tempore, and thereafter the procedure against the accused may be according to the other provisions of this Part of this Act.

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.

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.

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.

Where— the sheriff shall sign an interlocutor on said record copy in the form set out in Schedule H to the 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.

Nothing contained in this section shall require a plea tendered by or on behalf of a company to be signed.

At the first diet, where the case is one in which the second diet is to be in the High Court, the sheriff shall hear any objection of a preliminary nature, whether to the citation or relevancy or otherwise.

If— the sheriff shall call upon the accused to plead guilty or not guilty, and shall endorse upon the record copy of the indictment a certificate of the plea tendered in the form set out in Schedule 1 to the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1887 or in an Act of Adjournal under this Act or as nearly as may be in such form.

Where the accused pleads guilty to the indictment or any part thereof, he shall be required to sign the same if he is able to write ; and in every case the sheriff shall append his signature to the plea recorded.

Where the sheriff shall hold such a discrepancy, error or deficiency as aforesaid to be one which tends substantially to mislead and prejudice the accused, or where any other preliminary objection shall be held by him not to be frivolous, he shall endorse upon the record copy of the indictment a certificate in the form set out in Schedule K to the said Act of 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 certificate so written on such record copy 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 Clerk of Justiciary.

Nothing contained in this section shall require a plea tendered by or on behalf of a company to be signed.

All crimes may be tried before any circuit Court of Justiciary by indictment in the same manner as before the High Court at Edinburgh.

All sittings of the Court of Justiciary shall be sittings of the High Court.

Every person who shall be appointed to the office of one of the senators of the College of Justice in Scotland shall, by virtue of such appointment, be a Lord Commissioner of Justiciary in Scotland.

If any difference shall arise as to the rotation of judges in the High Court, the same shall be determined by the Lord Justice General.

Any judge or judges in the High Court may discharge the duty of any circuit court, notwithstanding that such judge or judges may not have been specially named for that duty.

The Lord Justice General, Lord Justice Clerk, or any Lord Commissioner of Justiciary may preside alone at the trial of any panel before the High Court, and when so presiding shall constitute a quorum of the High Court: Provided that in any trial of difficulty or importance it shall be competent for two or more judges in the High Court to preside.

It shall be lawful for the High Court by Act of Adjournal from time to time as to them shall seem necessary after consultation with the Lord Advocate—

The High Court shall hold such sittings for the trial of criminal cases from time to time as may be necessary on the requisition of the Lord Advocate.

Where so many of the persons who have been indicted for any sitting of the High Court have pleaded guilty at the first diet as to make the holding of a separate court for the cases remaining unnecessary, it shall be lawful for any Lord Commissioner of Justiciary, on the petition of the Lord Advocate, and in chambers and without the presence of the prosecutor or the accused, to order the second diets of such cases to be postponed and to be held at any other sitting of the High Court which is about to be held.

Upon such order for postponement being issued, a notice shall forthwith be served upon the accused, who may have already been cited, in the form set out in Schedule 0 to the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1887 or in an Act of Adjournal under this Act or as nearly as may be in such form.

Where an accused, who has pleaded not guilty at the first diet, shall thereafter, at any time before the date appointed for the second diet in the High Court, give written notice to the Crown Agent through his own procurator that he intends to plead guilty to the charge in whole or in part, and the Lord Advocate shall intimate to the Clerk of Justiciary that he is prepared to accept such plea, section 116 of this Act shall apply to the case of the accused in like manner as if he had pleaded guilty at the first diet, and where the accused shall at the second diet tender a plea not in accordance with the notice, and such plea shall not be accepted by the prosecutor, section 122 of this Act shall apply in like manner as it applies to the case where the High Court allows a plea of guilty to be withdrawn or modified.

Sections 115 and 117 of this Act shall apply wherever the number of persons indicted for any sitting of the High Court, who have neither pleaded guilty nor in whose cases such notice and intimation as are mentioned in the foregoing subsection have been given, is such as to render the holding of a special or separate court inexpedient or unnecessary.

At the calling of the second diet in the sheriff court in the same sheriff court district as the court of the first diet, the procedure shall be in accordance with the existing law and practice as varied by the provisions of this Part of this Act.

When the second diet is in the sheriff court of a different sheriff court district, or in the High Court, the clerk of court shall on the diet being called enter in the books of court, or in a record to be kept for the purpose, a transcript of the procedure at the first diet as endorsed on the record copy of the indictment by the sheriff who presided at that diet, and thereafter, if in the sheriff court, the case shall, after the plea of the accused has been tendered and recorded, proceed in accordance with the existing law and practice as varied by the provisions of this Part of this Act.

Where a person accused is cited to the High Court for the second diet, that court shall have power to review the proceedings at the first diet and the following provisions of this section shall apply.

Where the accused has pleaded guilty to the whole or any part of the charge at the first diet, the High Court may at such second diet, if it shall be shown that such plea was taken— allow such plea to be withdrawn or modified.

Where such plea is so withdrawn or modified, the court shall on the motion of the prosecutor desert the diet pro loco et tempore, or postpone the trial to a later date, which shall be notified to the accused in open court.

Where such postponement makes it necessary that the jury for the trial of the case shall be taken from a different list from that of which notice was given to the accused, such list shall be prepared, signed, and kept in the office of the appropriate sheriff clerk within three clear days of such postponement in the manner provided in section 96 of this Act.

No trial shall fail or the ends of justice be allowed to be defeated by reason of any discrepancy or variance between the indictment and the evidence.

It shall be competent at any time prior to the determination of the case, unless the court see just cause to the contrary, to amend the indictment by deletion, alteration or addition, so as to cure any error or defect therein, or to meet any objection thereto, or to cure any discrepancy or variance between the indictment and the evidence.

Nothing in this section shall authorise an amendment which changes the character of the offence charged, and, if the court shall be of opinion that the accused may in any way be prejudiced in his defence on the merits of the case by any amendment made under this section, the court shall grant such remedy to the accused by adjournment or otherwise as to the court may seem just.

An amendment made under this section shall be sufficiently authenticated by the initials of the clerk of court.

Where at the second diet— it shall be lawful at any time within nine clear days after the date of such second diet to give notice to the accused on another copy of the indictment to appear to answer such indictment at a further diet either in the High Court or in the sheriff court when the charge is one that can be lawfully tried in that court, notwithstanding that the original citation to a second diet was to a different court.

The notice referred to in subsection (1) of this section shall be in the form set out in Schedule N to the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1887 or in an Act of Adjournal under this Act or as nearly as may be in such form.

The further diet specified in the notice referred to in subsection (1) of this section shall be not earlier than nine clear days from the giving of such notice.

On or before the day on which such notice is given, a list of jurors shall be prepared, signed and kept by the sheriff clerk of the district to which such notice applies in the manner provided in section 96 of this Act.

Where the court is unable to proceed owing to the death or illness of the presiding judge, it shall be lawful for the clerk of court— and any such continuation, adjournment, desertion or other proceeding shall be entered in the record by the clerk of court.

Where a diet is deserted in pursuance of subsection (1)(c) of this section the Lord Advocate may raise and insist in a new indictment, and in any such case where the accused is in custody it shall not be necessary that a new warrant for his incarceration be granted, and the warrant of commitment on which he is at the time in custody till liberation in due course of law shall continue in force, and in any such case where the accused is at liberty on bail his bail shall continue in force.

Each accused on trial may challenge five of the jurors, and the prosecutor may challenge five of the jurors in all, for any one trial, without being obliged to assign any reason therefor.

A challenge of a juror shall be made when the name of that juror is balloted and shall not afterwards be allowed.

Such challenge shall of itself disqualify the person challenged from serving as a juror at the trial.

Nothing in this section shall affect the right of the accused or the prosecutor to object to any juror on cause shown.

If any objection is taken to a juror on cause shown and such objection is founded on the want of sufficient qualification as provided by section 1 of the Jurors (Scotland) Act 1825, such objection shall be proved only by the oath of the juror objected to.

No objection to a juror shall be competent after he has been sworn to serve.

The jurors chosen for any particular trial may, when that trial is disposed of, without any new ballot, serve on the trials of other persons accused, provided that—

Where the trials referred to in subsection (1) of this section are in the High Court, the clerk of court shall at the commencement of the first of such trials engross the names and designations of the jurors in the record thereof, and in the record of the subsequent trial or trials it shall be sufficient to mention that the jurors who passed upon the preceding trial or trials also passed upon the assize of the panel or panels then under trial, no objection having been made to the contrary, the said jurors being always sworn together in presence of each panel or set of panels respectively.

No person adduced as a witness shall be excluded from giving evidence by reason of having been convicted of or having suffered punishment for crime, or by reason of interest, or by reason of agency or of partial counsel, or by reason of having appeared without citation or without having been duly cited to attend, or by reason of having been precognosced subsequently to the date of citation.

Every person so adduced, who is not otherwise by law disqualified from giving evidence, shall be admissible as a witness, notwithstanding any objection offered on any of the above-mentioned grounds.

Nothing in this section shall prevent such witness from being examined on any point tending to affect his credibility.

Where any person who is or has been an agent of the accused shall be adduced and examined as a witness for the accused, it shall not be competent to the accused to object, on the ground of confidentiality, to any question proposed to be put to such witness on matter pertinent to the issue of the guilt of the accused.

The spouse of a person charged with— may be called as a witness either for the prosecution or for the defence without the consent of the person charged.

Nothing in this section or in section 141 or 346 of this Act shall affect a case where the spouse of a person charged with an offence may at common law be called as a witness without the consent of that person.

Without prejudice to section 174 of this Act, no part of a trial shall take place outwith the presence of the accused.

Where a debate has taken place on the relevance of an indictment, the judge shall give his decision as to relevance in open court in the presence of the accused.

From the commencement of the leading of evidence in a trial for rape or the like the judge may, if he thinks fit, cause all persons other than the accused and counsel and solicitors to be removed from the court-room.

Any person who interrupts or disturbs the court shall be liable to imprisonment or a fine or both as the judge thinks fit.

In any trial, where the accused is legally represented, it shall not be necessary for the accused or for the prosecutor to prove any fact which is admitted by the other, or to prove any document, the terms and application of which are not in dispute between them; and a copy of any document may, where they so agree, be accepted as equivalent to the original document.

For the purposes of the foregoing subsection any admission or agreement shall be made by lodging with the clerk of court a minute in that behalf signed—

Where a minute has been signed and lodged as aforesaid, any facts and documents admitted or agreed thereby shall be deemed to have been duly proved ; and a copy of any document so agreed to be accepted as equivalent to the original document shall be accepted as so equivalent.

The declaration of the accused, the formal parts of which may be written or printed, or partly written and partly printed, duly authenticated by a justice as having been emitted before him according to the existing law and practice, shall be received in evidence without being sworn to by witnesses, and it shall not be necessary to insert the names of any witnesses to the declaration in any list of witnesses, either for the prosecution or for the defence.

It shall be competent for the defence, before such declaration is read to the jury, to adduce as witnesses the persons who were present when the declaration was emitted, and to examine them upon any matters regarding such declaration on which it would be competent to examine them according to the existing law and practice, and to move the court to refuse to allow the declaration to be read on grounds appearing on the face of the declaration itself, or on the ground of what is disclosed in such evidence or on both of these grounds, and where the defence objects to the declaration, the prosecutor shall be entitled to examine any witnesses in regard thereto, whom the defence may be entitled to examine as aforesaid.

As soon as the whole case for the prosecution and defence has been heard by the court, if any of the jurors has any doubt which he would like resolved, he shall raise the same in the presence of the accused in court before retiring to the jury room.

When the jury retire to consider their verdict, the clerk of court shall enclose the jury in a room by themselves and neither he nor any other person shall be present with the jury after they are enclosed.

No person shall visit the jury on the pretext of further information, of resolving any doubt or on any other pretext or for any other purpose whatever; nor shall the jury come out of the jury room for any cause whatever or adjourn until they return their verdict except where they may wish to have a direction from the judge or to make any request regarding any matter in the cause as, for example, to make available any production for examination by the jury.

Ii any prosecutor or other person contravenes the provisions of this section, the accused shall be acquitted of the crime with which he is charged.

When in any criminal trial the jury shall have retired to consider their verdict, and, owing to delay in returning their verdict or for other sufficient reason, the diet in another criminal cause has been called, then, subject to the following provisions of this section, it shall be lawful to interrupt the proceedings in such other cause—

Whether in any cause interruption shall be allowed shall be a matter in the discretion of the judge who presides at the trial.

In no case shall the verdict of the jury in the preceding trial be returned, or sentence be imposed upon the panel, or any direction be asked or given, or any request be heard or granted, in the presence of the jury in the interrupted trial, but in every case such jury shall be directed to retire by the presiding judge.

In the case of any such interruption a minute of continuation of the diet of the interrupted trial shall be entered in the minute book of the court, and it shall be sufficient that the minute shall bear that the diet be continued until later in the same day without further specification of time, or to the following or a subsequent day as the court may direct.

The court may remand the jury in the preceding trial, and order them to be re-enclosed and to prepare a verdict in writing.

On the interrupted trial being resumed the diet shall be called de novo.

Where in any cause the diet of which has not been called, the panel shall intimate through his counsel to the clerk of court that he is prepared to tender a plea of guilty as libelled or such qualified plea as the Crown is prepared to accept, or where a cause is remitted to the High Court for sentence in which the panel has pleaded guilty under section 102 of this Act, then, subject to the following provisions of this section, any trial (other than a trial for murder) then proceeding may be interrupted for the purpose of receiving such plea or dealing with said remitted cause and pronouncing sentence or otherwise disposing of any such cause.

In the case of any such interruption an entry will be duly made in the minute book of the court continuing the diet of the interrupted trial until later in the same day without further specification of time, or to the following or a subsequent day as the court may direct.

In any such interposed cause, the plea of the panel shall not be tendered or accepted, nor sentence passed, in the presence of the jury in the interrupted trial, but said jury if not already retired shall be directed by the presiding judge to retire.

A previous conviction may not be libelled as an aggravation of an offence.

Where a person is convicted of an offence, the court may have regard to any previous conviction in respect of that person in deciding on the disposal of the case.

Nothing in this section shall affect the sentence which a court may pass on a second or subsequent conviction.

Previous convictions against the accused shall not be laid before the jury, nor shall reference be made thereto in presence of the jury before the verdict is returned.

Nothing in this section shall prevent the prosecutor from laying before the jury evidence of previous convictions where, by the existing law, it is competent to lead evidence of such previous convictions as evidence in causa in support of the substantive charge, or where the accused shall lead evidence to prove previous good character.

It shall not be necessary for the jury to return a verdict finding whether previous convictions against the accused have been proved or not.

Previous convictions shall not be laid before the presiding judge until the prosecutor moves for sentence, and in that event the prosecutor shall lay before the judge a copy of the notice referred to in subsection (2) or (4) of section 68 of this Act.

On the conviction of the accused it shall be competent for the court to amend a notice of previous convictions so laid by deletion or alteration for the purpose of curing any error or defect therein: Provided that no such amendment shall be made to the prejudice of the accused.

Where any such intimation as is mentioned in section 68 of this Act is given by the accused, it shall be competent to prove any previous conviction included therein in the manner set forth in section 162 of this Act, and the provisions of the said section shall apply accordingly.

Any conviction which is admitted in evidence by the court shall be entered in the record of the trial.

Nothing in this section or in section 68 of this Act shall prevent evidence of previous convictions being led in any case where such evidence is competent in support of a substantive charge.

An extract conviction of any crime committed in any part of the United Kingdom, bearing to be under the hand of the officer in use to give out such extract conviction, shall be received in evidence without being sworn to by witnesses.

It shall be competent to prove by a witness or witnesses such previous conviction, or any facts relevant to the admissibility of the same, although the name of any such witness is not included in the list served on the accused ; and the accused shall be entitled to examine witnesses in regard thereto.

An official of any prison in which the accused may have been confined on such conviction shall be a competent and sufficient witness to prove the application thereof to the accused, although he may not have been present in court at the trial to which such conviction relates.

A previous conviction may be proved against any person in any criminal proceedings by the production of such evidence of the conviction as is mentioned in this section and by showing that his fingerprints and those of the person convicted are the fingerprints of the same person.

A certificate purporting to be signed by or on behalf of the Chief Constable of Strathclyde or the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, containing particulars relating to a conviction extracted from the criminal records kept by the person by or on whose behalf the certificate is signed, and certifying that the copies of the fingerprints contained in the certificate are copies of the fingerprints appearing from the said records to have been taken in pursuance of regulations for the time being in force under section 11 of the Prisons (Scotland) Act 1952, or under section 16 of the Prison Act 1952, from the person convicted on the occasion of the conviction or on the occasion of his last conviction, shall be sufficient evidence of the conviction or, as the case may be, of his last conviction and of all preceding convictions and that the copies of the fingerprints produced on the certificate are copies of the fingerprints of the person convicted.

Where a person has been apprehended and detained in the custody of the police in connection with any criminal proceedings, a certificate purporting to be signed by the chief constable concerned or a person authorised on his behalf, certifying that the fingerprints produced thereon were taken from him while he was so detained, shall be sufficient evidence in those proceedings that the fingerprints produced on the certificate are the fingerprints of that person.

A certificate purporting to be signed by or on behalf of the governor of a prison or of a remand centre in which any person has been detained in connection with any criminal proceedings, certifying that the fingerprints produced thereon were taken from him while he was so detained, shall be sufficient evidence in those proceedings that the fingerprints produced on the certificate are the fingerprints of that person.

A certificate purporting to be signed by or on behalf of the Chief Constable of Strathclyde, and certifying that the fingerprints, copies of which are certified as aforesaid by or on behalf of the Chief Constable or the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis to be copies of the fingerprints of a person previously convicted and the fingerprints certified by or on behalf of a chief constable or a governor as aforesaid, or otherwise shown, to be the fingerprints of the person against whom the previous conviction is sought to be proved, are the fingerprints of the same person, shall be sufficient evidence of the matter so certified.

The method of proving a previous conviction authorised by this section shall be in addition to any other method of proving the conviction.

Where, in any proceedings in relation to an offence against, or any conduct contrary to, decency or morality, a person who, in the opinion of the court, is a child is called as a witness, the court may direct that all or any persons, not being members or officers of the court or parties to the case, their counsel or solicitors, or persons otherwise directly concerned in the case, be excluded from the court during the taking of the evidence of that witness: Provided that nothing in this section shall authorise the exclusion of bona fide representatives of a newspaper or news agency.

The powers conferred on a court by this section shall be in addition and without prejudice to any other powers of the court to hear proceedings in camera.

No newspaper report of any proceedings in a court shall reveal the name, address or school, or include any particulars calculated to lead to the identification, of any person under the age of 16 years concerned in the proceedings, either— nor shall any picture which is, or includes, a picture of a person under the age of 16 years so concerned in the proceedings be published in any newspaper in a context relevant to the proceedings: Provided that, in any case— where the person is concerned in the proceedings as a witness only and no one against whom the proceedings are taken is under the age of 16 years, the foregoing provisions of this subsection shall not apply unless the court so directs; the court may at any stage of the proceedings if satisfied that it is in the public interest so to do, direct that the requirements of this section (including such requirements as applied by a direction under paragraph (i) above) shall be dispensed with to such extent as the court may specify; the Secretary of State may, after completion of the proceedings, if so satisfied by order dispense with the said requirements to such extent as may be specified in the order.

This section shall, with the necessary modifications, apply in relation to sound and television programmes included in a programme service (within the meaning of the Broadcasting Act 1990) as it applies in relation to newspapers.

A person who publishes matter in contravention of this section shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.

In this section, references to a court shall not include a court in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Where a person charged with an offence is brought before any court otherwise than for the purpose of giving evidence, and it appears to the court that he is a child, the court shall make due inquiry as to the age of that person, and for that purpose shall take such evidence as may be forthcoming at the hearing of the case, but an order or judgment of the court shall not be invalidated by any subsequent proof that the age of that person has not been correctly stated to the court, and the age presumed or declared by the court to be the age of the person so brought before it shall, for the purposes of this Act or the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937, be deemed to be the true age of that person, and, where it appears to the court that the person so brought before it has attained the age of 17 years, that person shall for the purposes of this Act or the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937 be deemed not to be a child.

The court in making any inquiry in pursuance of the foregoing subsection shall have regard to the application of the provisions of section 30(1) of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 but an order or judgment of the court shall not be invalidated by any subsequent proof that the court was not informed that at the material time the person was subject to a supervision requirement or that his case had been referred to a children's hearing under Part V of that Act.

Where in any indictment for any offence under the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937 or any of the offences mentioned in Schedule 1 to this Act, except an offence under the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1885, it is alleged that the person by or in respect of whom the offence was committed was a child or was under or had attained any specified age, and he appears to the court to have been at the date of the commission of the alleged offence a child, or to have been under or to have attained the specified age, as the case may be, he shall for the purposes of this Act or the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937 be presumed at that date to have been a child or to have been under or to have attained that age, as the case may be, unless the contrary is proved.

Where, in any indictment for any offence under the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937 or any of the offences mentioned in Schedule 1 to this Act, it is alleged that the person in respect of whom the offence was committed was a child or was a young person, it shall not be a defence to prove that the person alleged to have been a child was a young person or the person alleged to have been a young person was a child in any case where the acts constituting the alleged offence would equally have been an offence if committed in respect of a young person or child respectively.

Where a person is charged with an offence under the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937 in respect of a person apparently under a specified age, it shall be a defence to prove that the person was actually of or over that age.

In subsection (3) of this section, references to a child (other than a child charged with an offence) shall be construed as references to a child under the age of 17 years ; but except as aforesaid references in this section to a child shall be construed as references to a child within the meaning of section 462 of this Act.

Where a child who is not subject to a supervision requirement is charged with an offence and pleads guilty to, or is found guilty of, that offence the court—

Where a court has acted in pursuance of paragraph (b) of the foregoing subsection, the court, after consideration of the advice received from the children's hearing may, as it thinks proper, itself dispose of the case or remit the case as aforesaid.

Where a child who is subject to a supervision requirement is charged with an offence and pleads guilty to, or is found guilty of, that offence the court shall request the reporter of the local authority to arrange a children's hearing for the purpose of obtaining their advice as to the treatment of the child, and on consideration of that advice may, as it thinks proper, itself dispose of the case or remit the case as aforesaid.

Where a court has remitted a case to the reporter under this section, the jurisdiction of the court in respect of the child shall cease, and his case shall stand referred to a children's hearing.

Nothing in the provisions of this section shall apply to a case in respect of an offence the sentence for which is fixed by law.

Where any person charged on indictment with the commission of an offence is found insane so that the trial of that person upon the indictment cannot proceed, or if in the course of the trial of any person so indicted it appears to the jury that he is insane, the court shall direct a finding to that effect to be recorded.

Where in the case of any person charged as aforesaid evidence is brought before the court that that person was insane at the time of doing the act or making the omission constituting the offence with which he is charged and the person is acquitted, the court shall direct the jury to find whether the person was insane at such time as aforesaid, and to declare whether the person was acquitted by them on account of his insanity at that time.

Where the court has directed that a finding be recorded in pursuance of subsection (1) of this section, or where a jury has declared that a person has been acquitted by them on the ground of his insanity in pursuance of the last foregoing subsection, the court shall order that the person to whom that finding or that acquittal relates shall be detained in a State hospital or such other hospital as for special reasons the court may specify.

An order for the detention of a person in a hospital under this section shall have the like effect as a hospital order (within the meaning of section 175(3) of this Act) together with an order restricting his discharge, made without limitation of time; and where such an order is given in respect of a person while he is in the hospital, he shall be deemed to be admitted in pursuance of, and on the date of, the order.

Where it appears to a court that it is not practicable or appropriate for the accused to be brought before it for the purpose of determining whether he is insane so that his trial cannot proceed, then, if no objection to such a course is taken by or on behalf of the accused, the court may order that the case be proceeded with in his absence.

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— 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Of the medical practitioners whose evidence is taken into account under section 175(1)(a) of this Act, at least one shall be a practitioner approved for the purposes of section 27 of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1960 by a Health Board as having special experience in the diagnosis or treatment of mental disorder.

For the purposes of the said section 175(1)(a) a report in writing purporting to be signed by a medical practitioner may, subject to the provisions of this section, be received in evidence without proof of the signature or qualifications of the practitioner; but the court may, in any case, require that the practitioner by whom such a report was signed be called to give oral evidence.

Where any such report as aforesaid is tendered in evidence, otherwise than by or on behalf of the accused, then— and where the court is of opinion that further time is necessary in the interests of the accused for consideration of that report, or the substance of any such report, it shall adjourn the case.

For the purpose of calling evidence to rebut the evidence contained in any such report as aforesaid, arrangements may be made by or on behalf of an accused person detained in a hospital for his examination by any medical practitioner, and any such examination may be made in private.

Where a hospital order is made in respect of a person, and it appears to the court, having regard to the nature of the offence with which he is charged, the antecedents of the person and the risk that as a result of his mental disorder he would commit offences if set at large, that it is necessary for the protection of the public so to do, the court may, subject to the provisions of this section, further order that the person shall be subject to the special restrictions set out in section 60(3) of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1960, either without limit of time or during such period as may be specified in the order.

An order under this section (in this Act referred to as " an order restricting discharge ") shall not be made in the case of any person unless the medical practitioner approved by the Health Board for the purposes of section 27 of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1960, whose evidence is taken into account by the court under section 175(1)(a) of this Act, has given evidence orally before the court.

Where an order restricting the discharge of a patient is in force, a guardianship order shall not be made in respect of him; and where the hospital order relating to him ceases to have effect by virtue of section 58(4) of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1960 on the making of another hospital order, that order shall have the same effect in relation to the order restricting discharge as the previous hospital order, but without prejudice to the power of the court making that other hospital order to make another order restricting discharge to have effect on the expiration of the previous such order.

Without prejudice to any powers exercisable by a court under the last foregoing section, where a person is charged before a court with an offence punishable with imprisonment, and the court is satisfied that he did the act or made the omission charged but is of opinion that an inquiry ought to be made into his physical or mental condition before the method of dealing with him is determined, the court shall remand him in custody or on bail for such period or periods, no single period exceeding three weeks, as the court thinks necessary to enable a medical examination and report to be made.

Where a person is remanded on bail under this section, bail shall be found by bail bond, and it shall be a condition of the bond that he shall— and, if arrangements have been made for his reception, it may be a condition of the bond that the person shall, for the purpose of the examination, reside in an institution or place specified as aforesaid, not being an institution or place to which he could have been remanded in custody, until the expiry of such period as may be so specified or until he is discharged therefrom, whichever first occurs.

Where a person remanded on bail under this section fails to comply with any such condition of the bond as is mentioned in the last foregoing subsection, the bail may be forfeited.

On exercising the powers conferred by this section the court shall— a statement of the reasons for which the court is of opinion that an inquiry ought to be made into his physical or mental condition, and of any information before the court about his physical or mental condition.

Where a person is convicted of an offence (other than an offence the sentence for which is fixed by law), the court, if it is of opinion having regard to the circumstances, including the nature of the offence and the character of the offender, that it is expedient to do so, may instead of sentencing him make a probation order, that is to say an order requiring the offender to be under supervision for a period to be specified in the order of not less than one nor more than three years.

A probation order shall be as nearly as may be in the form prescribed by Act of Adjournal, and shall name the local authority area in which the offender resides or is to reside and the order shall make provision for the offender to be under the supervision of an officer of the local authority of that area, or, where the offender resides or is to reside in a local authority area in which the court has no jurisdiction the court shall name the appropriate court (being such a court as could have been named in any amendment of the order in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 5 to this Act) in the area of residence or intended residence, and the court last mentioned shall require the local authority for that area to arrange for the offender to be under the supervision of an officer of that authority.

Subject to the provisions of Schedule 5 to this Act relating to probationers who change their residence, an offender in respect of whom a probation order is made shall be required to be under the supervision of an officer of the local authority as aforesaid.

Subject to the provisions of the next following section, a probation order may in addition require the offender to comply during the whole or any part of the probation period with such requirements as the court, having regard to the circumstances of the case, considers necessary for securing the good conduct of the offender or for preventing a repetition by him of the offence or the commission of other offences.

Without prejudice to the generality of the last foregoing subsection, a probation order may include requirements relating to the residence of the offender: Provided that—

Before making a probation order, the court shall explain to the offender in ordinary language the effect of the order (including any additional requirements proposed to be inserted therein under subsection (4) or (5) of this section or under the next following section) and that if he fails to comply therewith or commits another offence during the probation period he will be liable to be sentenced for the original offence and the court shall not make the order unless the offender expresses his willingness to comply with the requirements thereof.

The clerk of the court by which a probation order is made or of the appropriate court, as the case may be, shall cause copies thereof to be given to the officer of the local authority who is to supervise the probationer, to the probationer, and to the person in charge of any institution or place in which the probationer is required to reside under the probation order.

Where the court is satisfied, on the evidence of a registered medical practitioner approved for the purposes of section 27 of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1960, that the mental condition of an offender is such as requires and may be susceptible to treatment but is not such as to warrant his detention in pursuance of a hospital order under Part V of that Act, or under this Act, the court may, if it makes a probation order, include therein a requirement that the offender shall submit, for such period not extending beyond 12 months from the date of the requirement as may be specified therein, to treatment by or under the direction of a registered medical practitioner with a view to the improvement of the offender's mental condition.

The treatment required by any such order shall be such one of the following kinds of treatment as may be specified in the order, that is to say— but except as aforesaid the nature of the treatment shall not be specified in the order.

A court shall not make a probation order containing such a requirement as aforesaid unless it is satisfied that arrangements have been made for the treatment intended to be specified in the order, and, if the offender is to be treated as a resident patient, for his reception.

While the probationer is under treatment as a resident patient in pursuance of a requirement of the probation order, any officer responsible for his supervision shall carry out the supervision to such extent only as may be necessary for the purpose of the discharge or amendment of the order.

Where the medical practitioner by whom or under whose direction a probationer is being treated for his mental condition in pursuance of a probation order is of opinion that part of the treatment can be better or more conveniently given in or at an institution or place not specified in the order, being an institution or place in or at which the treatment of the probationer will be given by or under the direction of a registered medical practitioner, he may, with the consent of the probationer, make arrangements for him to be treated accordingly ; and the arrangements may provide for the probationer to receive part of his treatment as a resident patient in an institution or place notwithstanding that the institution or place is not one which could have been specified in that behalf in the probation order.

Where any such arrangements as are mentioned in the last foregoing subsection are made for the treatment of a probationer—

Subsections (2), (3) and (4) of section 176 of this Act shall apply for the purposes of this section as if for the reference in the said subsection (2) to section 175(1)(a) of this Act there were substituted a reference to subsection (1) of this section.

Except as provided by this section, a court shall not make a probation order requiring a probationer to submit to treatment for his mental condition.

The provisions of Schedule 5 to this Act shall have effect in relation to the discharge and amendment of probation orders.

Where, under section 186 of this Act, a probationer is sentenced for the offence for which he was placed on probation, the probation order shall cease to have effect.

If, on information on oath from the officer supervising the probationer, it appears to the court by which the order was made or to the appropriate court that the probationer has failed to comply with any of the requirements of the order, that court may issue a warrant for the arrest of the probationer, or may, if it thinks fit, instead of issuing such a warrant in the first instance, issue a citation requiring the probationer to appear before the court at such time as may be specified in the citation.

If it is proved to the satisfaction of the court before which a probationer appears or is brought in pursuance of the last foregoing subsection that he has failed to comply with any of the requirements of the probation order, the court may—

A fine imposed under this section in respect of a failure to comply with the requirements of a probation order shall be deemed for the purposes of any enactment to be a sum adjudged to be paid by or in respect of a conviction or a penalty imposed on a person summarily convicted.

A probationer who is required by a probation order to submit to treatment for his mental condition shall not be deemed for the purpose of this section to have failed to comply with that requirement on the ground only that he has refused to undergo any surgical, electrical or other treatment if, in the opinion of the court, his refusal was reasonable having regard to all the circumstances.

Without prejudice to the provisions of section 187 of this Act, a probationer who is convicted of an offence committed during the probation period shall not on that account be liable to be dealt with under this section for failing to comply with any requirement of the probation order.

If it appears to the court by which a probation order has been made (or to the appropriate court) that the probationer to whom the order relates has been convicted by a court in any part of Great Britain of an offence committed during the probation period and has been dealt with for that offence, the first-mentioned court (or the appropriate court) may issue a warrant for the arrest of the probationer, or may, if it thinks fit, instead of issuing such a warrant in the first instance issue a citation requiring the probationer to appear before that court at such time as may be specified in the citation, and on his appearance or on his being brought before the court, the court may, if it thinks fit, deal with him under section 186(2)(b) of this Act.

Where a probationer is convicted by the court which made the probation order (or by the appropriate court) of an offence committed during the probation period, that court may, if it thinks fit, deal with him under section 186(2)(b) of this Act for the offence for which the order was made as well as for the offence committed during the period of probation.

Where the court by which a probation order is made under section 183 of this Act (not being a probation order including a requirement which, while corresponding to a requirement mentioned in paragraph 2 or 3 of Schedule 1A to the Powers of Criminal Courts Act 1973, would if included in a probation order made under that Act fail to accord with a restriction as to days of presentation, participation or attendance mentioned in paragraph 2(4)(a) or (6)(a), or as the case may be 3(3)(a), of that Schedule ) is satisfied that the offender has attained the age of 16years and resides or will reside in England, subsection (2) of the said section shall not apply to the order, but the order shall contain a requirement that he be under the supervision of a probation officer appointed for or assigned to the petty sessions area in which the offender resides or will reside; . . . that area shall be named in the order ; and where the order includes a requirement that the probationer perform unpaid work for a number of hours, the number specified shall not exceed one hundred..

Where a probation order has been made under section 183 of this Act and the court in Scotland by which the order was made or the appropriate court is satisfied , the power of that court to amend the order under Schedule 5 to this Act shall include power to insert the provisions required by subsection (1) of this section or to vary any requirement for performance of unpaid work so that such hours as remain to be worked do not exceed one hundred; and the court may so amend the order without summoning the probationer and without his consent.

A probation order made or amended by virtue of this section may, notwithstanding section 184(8) of this Act, include a requirement that the probationer shall submit to treatment for his mental condition and—

Sections 185(1) and 186(1) of this Act shall not apply to any order made or amended under this section; but subject as hereinafter provided the provisions of Schedule 2 to the Criminal Justice Act 1991 shall apply to the order— Provided that Part III of that Schedule shall not so apply; and sub-paragraphs (3) and (4) of paragraph 3 of that Schedule shall so apply as if for the first reference in the said sub-paragraph (3) to the Crown Court there were substituted a reference to a court in Scotland and for the other references in those sub-paragraphs to the Crown Court there were substituted references to the court in Scotland.

If it appears on information to a justice acting for the petty sessions area named in a probation order made or amended under this section that the person to whom the order relates has been convicted by a court in any part of Great Britain of an offence committed during the period specified in the order, he may issue a summons requiring that person to appear, at the place and time specified therein, before the court in Scotland by which the probation order was made or, if the information is in writing and on oath, may issue a warrant for his arrest, directing that person to be brought before the last-mentioned court.

If a warrant for the arrest of a probationer issued under section 187 of this Act by a court is executed in England, and the probationer cannot forthwith be brought before that court, the warrant shall have effect as if it directed him to be brought before a magistrates’ court for the place where he is arrested; and the magistrates’ court shall commit him to custody or release him on bail (with or without sureties) until he can be brought or appear before the court in Scotland.

The court by which a probation order is made or amended in accordance with the provisions of this section shall send three copies of the order to the clerk to the justices for the petty sessions area named therein, together with such documents and information relating to the case as it considers likely to be of assistance to the court acting for that petty sessions area.

Where a probation order which is amended under subsection (2) of this section is an order to which the provisions of this Act apply by virtue of section 10 of the Powers of Criminal Courts Act 1973 (which relates to probation orders under that Act relating to persons residing in Scotland) then, notwithstanding anything in that section or this section, the order shall, as from the date of the amendment, have effect in all respects as if it were an order made under section 2 of that Act in the case of a person residing in England.

Where the court by which a probation order is made under section 183 of this Act or subsection (6) of this section is satisfied that the person to whom the order relates is under the age of 17 years and resides or will reside in England, subsection (2) of the said section 183 shall not apply to the order but the order shall name the petty sessions area in which that person resides or will reside and the court shall send notification of the order to the clerk to the justices for that area.

Where a probation order has been made under section 183 of this Act or subsection (6) of this section and the court which made the order or the appropriate court is satisfied that the person to whom the order relates is under the age of 17 years and proposes to reside or is residing in England, the power of that court to amend the order under Schedule 5 to this Act shall include power, without summoning him and without his consent, to insert in the order the name of the petty sessions area aforesaid ; and where the court exercises the power conferred on it by virtue of this subsection it shall send notification of the order to the clerk aforesaid.

A court which sends a notification to a clerk in pursuance of the foregoing provisions of this section shall send to him with it three copies of the probation order in question and such other documents and information relating to the case as it considers likely to be of assistance to the juvenile court mentioned in the following subsection.

It shall be the duty of the clerk to whom a notification is sent in pursuance of the foregoing provisions of this section to refer the notification to a juvenile court acting for the petty sessions area named in the order, and on such a reference the court—

A supervision order made by virtue of the last foregoing subsection shall not include a requirement authorised by section 12 of the said Act of 1969 unless the supervised person is before the court when the supervision order is made, and in relation to a supervision order made by virtue of that subsection— and when a juvenile court disposes of a case referred to it in pursuance of the last foregoing subsection, the probation order in consequence of which the reference was made shall cease to have effect.

The court which, in pursuance of subsection (1) of section 73 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, considers a case referred to it in consequence of a notification under paragraph (i) of that subsection (which relates to a case in which a person subject to a supervision order made by virtue of this section moves to Scotland)— and when the court disposes of a case in pursuance of this subsection the supervision order aforesaid shall cease to have effect.

Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in section 183 of this Act, a probation order made by virtue of the last foregoing subsection which includes only requirements having the like effect as any requirement or provision of the supervision order to which the notification relates may be made without summoning the person to whom the notification relates and without his consent, and shall specify a period of supervision which shall expire not later than the date on which that supervision order would have ceased to have effect by the effluxion of time ; and, except as aforesaid, the provisions of this Act shall apply to that probation order.

In this and the last foregoing section " petty sessions area " has the same meaning as in the said Act of 1969.

Any court, on making a probation order, may, if it thinks that such a course is expedient for the purpose of the order, require the offender to give security for his good behaviour.

Security may be given under the foregoing subsection by consignation with the clerk of the court or by entering into an undertaking to pay the amount, but not otherwise, and such security may be forfeited and recovered in like manner as caution.

Subject as hereinafter provided, a conviction of an offence for which an order is made under this Part of this Act placing the offender on probation or discharging him absolutely shall be deemed not to be a conviction for any purpose other than the purposes of the proceedings in which the order is made and of laying it before a court as a previous conviction in subsequent proceedings for another offence: Provided that where an offender, being not less than 16 years of age at the time of his conviction of an offence for which he is placed on probation as aforesaid, is subsequently sentenced under this Act for that offence, the provisions of this subsection shall cease to apply to the conviction.

Without prejudice to the foregoing provisions of this section, the conviction of an offender who is placed on probation or discharged absolutely as aforesaid shall in any event be disregarded for the purposes of any enactment which imposes any disqualification or disability upon convicted persons, or authorises or requires the imposition of any such disqualification or disability.

The foregoing provisions of this section shall not affect—

Where a person charged with an offence has at any time previously been placed on probation or discharged absolutely in respect of the commission by him of an offence it shall be competent, in the proceedings for that offence, to bring before the court the probation order or order of absolute discharge in like manner as if the order were a conviction.

to reduce the period of imprisonment:

to substitute for imprisonment (either with or without caution for good behaviour, not exceeding an amount of £150 and a period of 12 months a fine as provided in the following table:— Period of imprisonment ... Amount of fine. Not exceeding three months Not exceeding £100. Exceeding three months but not exceeding six months Not exceeding £200. Exceeding six months but not exceeding one year Not exceeding £400. Over one year Such fine as the court may, in its discretion, decide

to substitute the finding of caution not exceeding the amount of £150 and the period of 12 months for a fine or imprisonment:

to reduce the amount of any fine:

to dispense with the finding of caution: Provided that,

Where a court imposes a fine on a person convicted, the court may, either at the same or at any subsequent time, order payment of the fine by instalments of such amounts, and at such times, as it may think fit, and where any instalment is not paid at the time so ordered, that person shall be liable to imprisonment for such period as bears to the period specified in default of payment of the fine the same proportion, as nearly as may be, as the sum of the unpaid instalments bears to the total amount of the fine.

Where in pursuance of subsection (1) of this section a person is imprisoned in default of payment of any instalment of a fine, and there is paid to the governor of the prison in which the said person is imprisoned a sum in part satisfaction of the sum of the unpaid instalments of the said fine, the term of imprisonment of the said person shall be reduced by a number of days bearing as nearly as possible the same proportion to the total number of days for which he was sentenced as the sum so paid bears to the sum for which he is liable.

Where a court has imposed a fine on a person convicted and has ordered payment of the fine by instalments in accordance with the terms of subsection (1) of this section, the court may at any time before imprisonment has followed on the sentence, without requiring the attendance of the accused, reduce the amount, or allow further time for the payment, of any instalment (whether the time for payment thereof has or has not expired), or order payment of the fine, so far as unpaid, by instalments of smaller amounts or at longer intervals than orginally ordered.

The High Court may by Act of Adjournal regulate the procedure to be followed in cases arising under this section.

Schedule 6 to this Act shall apply for the purposes of this section.

Where a person committed to prison or otherwise detained for failure to pay a fine imposed by a court of solemn jurisdiction pays to the governor of the prison, under conditions prescribed by rules made under the Prisons (Scotland) Act 1952, any sum in part satisfaction of the fine, the term of imprisonment shall be reduced by a number of days bearing as nearly as possible the same proportion to the total number of days for which the prisoner is sentenced as the sum so paid bears to the total amount of the fine.

In this section references to a prison and to the governor thereof shall include respectively references to any other place in which a person may be lawfully detained in default of payment of a fine, and to an officer in charge thereof.

Where a person who is not less than 16 but under 21 years of age is convicted of an offence punishable with imprisonment, and the court is satisfied having regard to his character and previous conduct, and to the circumstances of the offence, that it is expedient for his reformation and the prevention of crime that he should undergo a period of training in a Borstal institution, the court may, subject to subsection (5) of this section, pass a sentence of Borstal training in lieu of any other sentence.

Before a sentence of Borstal training is passed the court shall call for and consider a report on the offender's physical and mental condition and his suitability for such a sentence, which report it shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to cause to be furnished to the court.

If on consideration of a report furnished in pursuance of subsection (2) of this section the court, either ex proprio motu or on the application of either party, thinks it expedient to do so, it may require any person concerned in the preparation of the report or with knowledge of matters dealt with in the report to appear with a view to his examination on oath regarding any of the matters dealt with in the report, and such person may be examined or cross-examined accordingly.

A copy of any report furnished under subsection (2) of this section shall be given by the clerk of the court to the offender or his solicitor at least two clear days before the diet at which the sentence is to be passed.

The power of a court to pass a sentence of Borstal training under subsection (1) of this section shall not be exercised in the case of any person on whom such a sentence has previously been imposed and who has served any part thereof.

No person shall suffer death for murder, and a person convicted of murder shall, subject to section 206(1) of this Act, be sentenced to imprisonment for life.

On sentencing any person convicted of murder to imprisonment for life the High Court may at the same time declare the period which it recommends to the Secretary of State as the minimum period which in its view should elapse before the Secretary of State orders the release of that person on licence under section 61 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967.

For the purpose of any proceedings on or subsequent to a person's trial on a charge of capital murder, that charge and any plea or finding of guilty of capital murder shall be treated as being or having been a charge, or a plea or finding of guilty, of murder only; and if on 9th November 1965 a person was under sentence of death for murder, the sentence shall be treated as having been a sentence of imprisonment for life.

A person convicted of murder who appears to the court to have been under the age of 18 years at the time the murder was committed shall not be sentenced to imprisonment for life ; but in lieu thereof the court shall (notwithstanding anything in this or in any other Act) sentence him to be detained during Her Majesty's pleasure, and if so sentenced he shall be liable to be detained in such place and under such conditions as the Secretary of State may direct.

Where a child is convicted and the court is of opinion that none of the other methods of dealing with the child is suitable, the court may sentence him to be detained for such period as may be specified in the sentence; and where such a sentence has been passed, the child shall during that period be liable to be detained in such place and on such conditions as the Secretary of State may direct.

No court shall impose detention on a person under 21 years of age, unless the court is of opinion that no other method of dealing with him is appropriate.

For the purpose of determining in pursuance of the provisions of subsection (1) of this section whether any other method of dealing with a person mentioned therein is appropriate, the court shall obtain information about that person's circumstances from an officer of a local authority or otherwise and shall consider that information; and the court shall take into account any information before it which is relevant to his character and to his physical and mental condition.

Where in the case of a person who is of or over 16 years of age but less than 21 years of age the court is of opinion as aforesaid, and either— it shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, instead of imposing a term of imprisonment upon him impose detention in a young offenders institution for a term not exceeding the term for which he could have been imprisoned.

For the purposes of any reference in this section to a term of imprisonment or to a term of detention in a young offenders institution, consecutive terms and terms which are wholly or partly concurrent shall be treated as a single term.

Subject to the provisions of this section, in any case where a person who is not less than 16 but under 21 years of age is convicted of an offence punishable with imprisonment, and the court has been notified by the Secretary of State that a detention centre is available for the reception from that court of persons of his class or description, it may pass on him a sentence of detention in that centre for a fixed term of three months.

A court shall not pass a sentence under this section in the case of a person who has served or is serving a sentence involving his detention for two months or more in a prison or in a young offenders institution or a sentence of Borstal training, or in the case of a person who has served a sentence of detention in a detention centre, unless the court is of the opinion that, having regard to special considerations arising out of the circumstances of the case and the character of the offender, this method of dealing with him is the most appropriate.

Where it appears to the Secretary of State that a person detained in a detention centre is unfit for such detention by reason of his health, without prejudice to any other powers he may have in the matter, he may, after consultation where practicable with the judge by whom or the presiding chairman of the court by which the sentence was passed, release that person ; and he shall then be required to be under supervision in accordance with section 11(1) of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1963.

The term for which a person may be detained in a detention centre shall not exceed three months at a time; and accordingly no court may pronounce an order the effect of which would be that a person would be liable to be detained for more than that period.

Where a court has before it a person convicted of an offence punishable with imprisonment who is serving a sentence of detention in a detention centre or who has been sentenced to and has not yet started to serve such a sentence as aforesaid, it may pass either of the following sentences (subject to the requirements of any enactment relating to those sentences)— and in that event the sentence of detention in a detention centre shall cease to have effect.

Where a person sentenced to Borstal training, being under supervision after his release from a Borstal institution, is convicted of an offence punishable with imprisonment, the court may, instead of dealing with him in any other manner, make an order for his recall.

An order for the recall of a person made as aforesaid shall have the like effect as an order for recall made by the Secretary of State under section 33(4) of the Prisons (Scotland) Act 1952.

Where a person sentenced to detention in a young offenders institution, being under supervision after his release from such an institution, is convicted of an offence punishable with imprisonment, the court may, instead of dealing with him in any other manner, make an order for his recall.

An order for the recall of a person made as aforesaid shall have the like effect as an order for recall made by the Secretary of State under section 12 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1963.

If a person subject to a licence under section 60 or 61 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967 is convicted of an offence punishable on indictment with imprisonment, the court may, whether or not it passes any other sentence on him, revoke the licence.

The power conferred on a court by this section to revoke the licence of any person released under section 60 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967 after being transferred to either part of Great Britain from another part of the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man shall be exercisable notwithstanding anything in section 26(6) of the Criminal Justice Act 1961 (exclusion of supervision of persons so transferred).

If, on sworn information laid by or on behalf of the Secretary of State, it appears to the sheriff that a person, being under supervision under Schedule 1 to the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1963, has failed to comply with any of the requirements imposed on him by his notice of supervision, the sheriff may issue a warrant for tine arrest of that person or may, if he thinks fit, instead of issuing such a warrant in the first instance, issue a citation requiring the person to appear before him at such time as may be specified in the citation.

If it is proved to the satisfaction of the sheriff before whom a person appears or is brought in pursuance of the last foregoing subsection that the person has failed to comply with any of the requirements of the notice of supervision, the sheriff shall, unless having regard to all the circumstances of the case, he considers it unnecessary or inexpedient to do so, order that he be sent back to prison for such term as may be specified in that order, not exceeding whichever is the shorter of the following, that is to say—

Subject to the following provisions of this section, Part II of this Act shall apply in relation to proceedings for an order as aforesaid as it applies in relation to proceedings in respect of a summary offence, and references in Part II of this Act to an offence, trial, conviction or sentence shall be construed accordingly.

Proceedings for an order under subsection (2) of this section may be brought before a sheriff having jurisdiction in the area in which the supervising officer carries out his duties.

A warrant issued for the purposes of proceedings for an order under subsection (2) above may, if the person laying the information so requests, bear an endorsement requiring any constable charged with its execution to communicate with the Secretary of State before arresting the person under supervision if the constable finds that that person is earning an honest livelihood or that there are other circumstances which ought to be brought to the notice of the Secretary of State.

Where a person while under supervision under Schedule 1 to the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1963 is convicted of an offence for which the court has power to pass sentence of imprisonment, the court may, instead of dealing with him in any other manner, make such an order as could be made by a sheriff under subsection (2) of this section in proceedings for such an order.

The Secretary of State may at any time release from prison a person who has been sent back to prison under subsection (2) or (6) of this section; and the provisions of this section and of the said Schedule shall apply to a person released by virtue of this subsection, subject to the following modifications :—

In any proceedings, a certificate purporting to be signed by or on behalf of the Secretary of State and certifying— shall be sufficient evidence of the matters so certified ; and the fact that a notice of supervision was given to any person shall be sufficient evidence that he was a person to whom section 14 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1963 applies.

For the purposes of Part III of the Criminal Justice Act 1961, a person who has been sent back to prison under subsection (2) or (6) of this section, and has not been released again, shall be deemed to be serving part of his original sentence, whether or not the term of that sentence has in fact expired.

In any case the sentence to be pronounced shall be announced by the judge in open court and shall be entered in the record in the form now in use in the High Court, and it shall not be necessary to read the entry of the sentence from the record.

In recording sentences of imprisonment, it shall be sufficient to minute the term of imprisonment to which the court sentenced the panel, without specifying the prison in which the sentence is to be carried out; and such entries of sentences, signed by the clerk of court, shall be full warrant and authority for all execution to follow thereon, and for the clerk to issue extracts thereof for carrying the same into execution or otherwise.

In extracting sentences of imprisonment, the extract may be in the form set out in an Act of Adjournal under this Act or as nearly as may be in such form.

No person shall be sentenced by a court to penal servitude; and every enactment conferring power on a court to pass a sentence of penal servitude in any case shall be construed as conferring power to pass a sentence of imprisonment for a term not exceeding the maximum term of penal servitude for which a sentence could have been passed in that case immediately before 12th June 1950: Provided that nothing in this subsection shall be construed as empowering a court, other than the High Court, to pass a sentence of imprisonment for a term exceeding two years.

No person shall be sentenced by a court to imprisonment with hard labour; and every enactment conferring power on a court to pass a sentence of imprisonment with hard labour in any case shall be construed as conferring power to pass a sentence of imprisonment for a term not exceeding the term for which a sentence of imprisonment with hard labour could have been passed in that case immediately before 12th June 1950; and so far as any enactment requires or permits prisoners to be kept to hard labour it shall cease to have effect.

Where a person is convicted of an offence and the court which passes sentence is satisfied that any property which was in his possession or under his control at the time of his apprehension— that property shall be liable to forfeiture, and any property forfeited under this section shall be disposed of as the court may direct.

Any reference in this section to facilitating the commission of an offence shall include a reference to the taking of any steps after it has been committed for the purpose of disposing of any property to which it relates or of avoiding apprehension or detection.

The certificate of the judge who presided at the trial that a case is a fit case for appeal shall be in the form set out in an Act of Adjournal under the Criminal Appeal (Scotland) Act 1926 or under this Act or as nearly as may be in such form.

The trial judge may, in any case in which he considers it desirable to do so, inform the person convicted before him or sentenced by him that the case is, in his opinion, one fit for an appeal to the High Court under section 228(b) of this Act, and may give to such person a certificate to that effect.

A note of— shall be wholly or partly written, typed, or printed, and shall be signed by the appellant or applicant or his counsel or agent and shall be in the form set out in an Act of Adjournal under the Criminal Appeal (Scotland) Act 1926 or under this Act or as nearly as may be in such form.

Any such note shall, save as is hereinafter provided, be lodged with the Clerk of Justiciary within the prescribed period, and the appellant or applicant shall immediately after lodging the said note send a copy of it to the Crown Agent and, where the conviction or sentence was in the sheriff court, to the appropriate sheriff clerk.

Where, on the trial of a person entitled to appeal or make application for leave to appeal under this Part of this Act, a plea of insanity in bar of conviction has not been affirmed by the jury, any note required by this Part of this Act to be signed by the appellant or applicant himself may be signed by his counsel or agent, or other person authorised to act on his behalf, and may be lodged with the Clerk of Justiciary by such agent or other person authorised as aforesaid.

On an appeal being lodged and on an application for leave to appeal being granted, the Clerk of Justiciary shall give notice to the Prison Commissioners for Scotland.

Where the High Court has, on a note of application for leave to appeal, given an applicant leave to appeal, it shall not be necessary for such applicant to lodge any note of appeal, but the note of application for leave to appeal shall in such case be deemed to be a note of appeal.

If an appellant or an applicant for leave to appeal desires to present his case and his argument in writing instead of orally he shall intimate this desire to the Clerk of Justiciary at least four days before the diet fixed for the hearing of the appeal or application for leave to appeal, and, at the same time, shall lodge with the Clerk of Justiciary three copies of his case and argument; at the same time, he shall also send a copy thereof to the Crown Agent. Any case or argument so presented shall be considered by the High Court.

Unless the High Court shall otherwise direct, the respondent, in a case to which this section applies, shall not make a written reply to the case and argument in writing, but shall reply orally thereto at the diet fixed for the hearing of the appeal or application for leave to appeal.

Unless the High Court shall otherwise allow, an appellant or an applicant for leave to appeal who has presented his case and argument in writing shall not be entitled to submit in addition an oral argument to the court in support of the appeal or application for leave to appeal.

Where a person convicted appeals or applies for leave to appeal under this Part of this Act against the conviction or sentence, the judge who presided at the trial shall furnish to the Clerk of Justiciary in the manner provided in this section, his notes of the proceedings before him, and a report giving his opinion on the case or on any point arising therein.

The Clerk of Justiciary when he has received such a note as is referred to in section 233(1) of this Act or when the Secretary of State shall exercise his powers under section 263(1) of this Act, shall request the judge who presided at the trial to furnish him with a copy of his notes of the proceedings at the trial, certified by him, and the judge shall comply with such request. The High Court or any judge thereof, if they or he sees fit, may order the said notes to be printed or typed for the use of the court and the parties.

When the Clerk of Justiciary has received such a note as is referred to in section 233(1) of this Act or when the Secretary of State shall exercise his powers under section 263(1) of this Act, he shall request the judge who presided at the trial to furnish him with a report in writing, giving his opinion upon the case generally, or upon any point arising upon the case of the appellant or applicant, and the judge shall comply with such request. When making a request for such report the Clerk of Justiciary shall send to the judge a copy of the note he has received or any other document or information which he shall consider material or which the High Court at any time shall direct him to send or with which such judge may request to be furnished, to enable such judge to deal in his report with the appellant's or applicant's case generally or with any point arising thereon.

The report of the judge shall be made to the High Court, and, except by leave of the High Court or a judge thereof, the Clerk of Justiciary shall not furnish to any person any part thereof.

The High Court may, if it seems fit, on the application of an appellant, admit the appellant to bail pending the determination of his appeal.

An appellant who is admitted to bail shall, unless the High Court otherwise directs, appear personally in court on the day or days fixed for the hearing of his appeal or application for leave to appeal. In the event of the appellant failing so to appear, the court may decline to consider the appeal or application, and may dismiss it summarily or may consider and determine it or make such other order as it thinks fit.

When the High Court fixes the date for the hearing of an appeal, or of an application for leave to appeal or for extension of time for lodging notes of appeal or of application for leave to appeal which it is proposed to dispose of by the court, the Clerk of Justiciary shall give notice to the Crown Agent and to the solicitor of the appellant or applicant, or to the appellant or applicant himself if he has no known solicitor, and the latter shall thereupon lodge three copies (typed or printed) of the said appeal or application for the use of the court.

Where it is proposed that the powers of the court shall be exercised by a single judge under the provisions of section 247 of this Act, one copy only of the application to be disposed of shall be lodged by the solicitor of the applicant for the use of the judge.

For the purpose of hearing and determining any appeal or other proceeding under this Part of this Act three of the Lords Commissioners of Justiciary shall be a quorum of the High Court, and the determination of any question under this Part of this Act by the court shall be according to the votes of the majority of the members of the court sitting, including the presiding judge, and each judge so sitting shall be entitled to pronounce a separate opinion.

The High Court shall hold both during session and during vacation such sittings for the disposal of appeals and other proceedings under this Part of this Act as may be necessary.

The provisions of this section shall apply to cases certified to the High Court by a single judge of the said court and to appeals by way of advocation from the sheriff court in like manner as they apply to appeals under this Part of this Act.

When an application or applications have been dealt with by a judge of the High Court, under section 247 of this Act, the Clerk of Justiciary shall notify to the applicant the decision in the form set out in an Act of Adjournal under the Criminal Appeal (Scotland) Act 1926 or under this Act or as nearly as may be in such form.

In the event of such judge refusing all or any of such applications, the Clerk of Justiciary on notifying such refusal to the applicant shall forward to him the prescribed form to fill up and forthwith return if he desires to have his said application or applications determined by the High Court as fully constituted for the hearing of appeals under this Part of this Act. If the applicant does not so desire, or does not return within five days to the Clerk the form duly filled up by him, the refusal of his application or applications by such judge shall be final.

If the applicant desires a determination by the High Court as aforesaid and is not legally represented, he may be present at the hearing and determination by the High Court of his said application: Provided that an applicant who is legally represented shall not be entitled to be present without leave of the court.

When an applicant duly fills up and returns to the Clerk of Justiciary within the prescribed time the said form expressing a desire to be present at the hearing and determination by the court of the applications mentioned in this section, the said form shall be deemed to be an application by the applicant for leave to be so present, and the Clerk of Justiciary, on receiving the said form, shall take the necessary steps for placing the said application before the court.

If the said application to be present is refused by the court, the Clerk of Justiciary shall notify the applicant; and if the said application is granted, he shall notify the applicant and the Governor of the prison wherein the applicant is in custody and the Prison Commissioners for Scotland.

For the purpose of constituting a Court of Appeal, the judge who has refused any such application may sit as a member of such court, and take part in determining such application.

The evidence of any witnesses ordered to be examined before the High Court or before any judge of the High Court or other person appointed by the High Court shall be taken in accordance with the existing law and practice as to the taking of evidence in criminal trials in Scotland. The appellant or applicant and the respondent or counsel on their behalf shall be entitled to be present at and take part in any examination of any witness to which this section relates.

When an order of reference is made by the High Court under section 252(d) of this Act, the question to be referred and the person to whom as special commissioner the same shall be referred shall be specified in such order. The court may in such order, or by giving directions as and when they from time to time shall think right, specify whether the appellant or respondent or any person on their behalf may be present at any examination or investigation or at any stage thereof as may be ordered under the said section 252(d), and specify any and what powers of the court may be delegated to such special commissioner, and may require him from time to time to make interim reports to the court upon the question referred to him, and may, if the appellant is in custody, give leave to him to be present at any stage of such examination or investigation, and may give directions to the Clerk of Justiciary that any report made by such special commissioner shall be made available to the appellant and respondent or to counsel or agent on their behalf, and that they shall be entitled to have copies thereof made if they so desire.

The High Court on an appeal against conviction shall allow the appeal if they think— and in any other case shall dismiss the appeal: Provided that the court may, notwithstanding that they are of opinion that the point raised in the appeal might be decided in favour of the appellant, dismiss the appeal if they consider that no substantial miscarriage of justice has actually occurred.

Subject to the special provisions of this Part of this Act the High Court shall, if they allow an appeal against conviction, quash the conviction.

On any appeal against conviction the High Court shall have the like power to quash the sentence passed and to pass another sentence as is conferred on the High Court by subsection (4) of this section in the case of an appeal against sentence.

On any appeal against sentence the High Court shall, if they think that a different sentence should have been passed, quash the sentence passed and pass such other sentence warranted in law (whether more or less severe) in substitution therefor as they think ought to have been passed, and in any other case shall dismiss the appeal.

If it appears to the High Court that an appellant, though not properly convicted on some charge or part of the indictment, has been properly convicted on some other charge or part of the indictment, the High Court may, instead of allowing or dismissing the appeal, substitute for the verdict found by the jury a verdict of guilty on such other charge or part of the indictment, and may either affirm the sentence passed on the appellant at the trial or pass such sentence in substitution therefor as they think proper, and as may be warranted in law by the verdict so substituted.

Where an appellant has been convicted of an offence and the jury could on the indictment have found him guilty of some other offence, and on the finding of the jury it appears to the High Court that the jury must have been satisfied of facts which proved him guilty of that other offence, the court may, instead of allowing or dismissing the appeal, substitute for the verdict found by the jury a verdict of guilty of that other offence, and pass such sentence in substitution for the sentence passed at the trial as may be warranted in law for that other offence.

If on any appeal it appears to the High Court that the appellant committed the act charged against him but that he was insane at the time of committing the same, the court may substitute for the verdict found by the jury a verdict of acquittal on the ground of insanity, and may quash the sentence passed at the trial and make such order for the detention of the appellant as may be made under section 174 of this Act in the case of a person acquitted by a jury on the ground of insanity.

An order for the detention of a person in a hospital under this section shall have the like effect as a hospital order together with an order restricting his discharge, made without limitation of time ; and where such an order is given in respect of a person while he is in hospital, he shall be deemed to be admitted in pursuance of, and on the date of, the order.

Nothing in this Part of this Act shall affect the prerogative of mercy, but the Secretary of State on the consideration of any conviction of a person or the sentence (other than sentence of death) passed on a person who has been convicted, may, if he thinks fit, at any time, and whether or not an appeal or an application for leave to appeal against such conviction or sentence has previously been heard and determined by the High Court, either—

The power of the Secretary of State under this section to refer to the High Court the case, or any point arising on the case, of a person convicted shall be exercisable whether or not that person has petitioned for the exercise of Her Majesty's mercy.

Where, upon conviction of any person, any disqualification, forfeiture or disability attaches to such person by reason of such conviction, such disqualification, forfeiture or disability shall not attach for the period of ten days from the date of the verdict against such person nor, in the event of a note of appeal or of application for leave to appeal being lodged under this Part of this Act, until the determination thereof.

Where, upon a conviction, any property, matters or things which are the subject of the prosecution or connected therewith are to be or may be ordered to be destroyed or forfeited, the destruction or forfeiture or the operation of any order for destruction or forfeiture thereof shall be suspended for the period of ten days after the date of the verdict in the trial, and, in the event of a note of appeal or of application for leave to appeal being lodged under this Part of this Act, shall be further suspended until the determination thereof.

Where a person has on conviction been sentenced to payment of a fine and in default of payment to imprisonment, the person lawfully authorised to receive such fine shall, on receiving the same, retain it until the determination of any appeal in relation thereto.

If a person sentenced to payment of a fine remains in custody in default of payment of the fine he shall be deemed, for the purposes of this Part of this Act, to be a person sentenced to imprisonment.

Where a person has on conviction been sentenced to payment of a fine and in default of such payment to imprisonment, and he intimates to the judge who presided at the trial that he is desirous of appealing against his conviction to the High Court, either upon grounds of law alone, or with the certificate of the said judge upon any grounds mentioned in section 228(b) of this Act, the judge may, by order entered on the record, appoint such person forthwith to find caution for such sum as the judge may think right, to prosecute his appeal; and, subject thereto, may also so order that payment of the said fine shall be made at the final determination of the appeal, if the same be dismissed, to the clerk of the court in which the conviction took place or otherwise as the High Court may then order.

An appellant who has been sentenced to the payment of a fine, and has paid the same in accordance with such sentence, shall, in the event of his appeal being successful, be entitled, subject to any order of the High Court, to the return of the sum or any part thereof so paid by him.

If an appellant to whom subsection (3) of this section applies does not pay the fine or lodge a note of appeal upon grounds of law alone, or with the certificate of the judge who presided at the trial upon any grounds mentioned in section 228(6) of this Act, within ten days from the date of his conviction and sentence, the Clerk of Justiciary shall report such omission to the High Court or any judge thereof who, after such notice as they or he may deem advisable, may find that the aforesaid caution has been forfeited, and may pronounce against the cautioner decree for such sum as they or he may think proper and may issue a warrant for the apprehension of the appellant and may commit him to prison in default of payment of his fine, or may make such other order as they or he may think right.

The time during which an appellant, after admission to bail under section 238 of this Act, is at large pending the determination of his appeal shall not be reckoned as part of any term of imprisonment under his sentence.

The time during which an appellant is in custody pending the determination of his appeal shall, subject to any direction which the High Court may give to the contrary, be reckoned as part of any term of imprisonment under his sentence.

Imprisonment of an appellant shall, subject to any direction which the High Court may give to the contrary, be deemed to run, if the appellant is in custody, as from the date on which the sentence was passed, and to begin to run or to be resumed, if the appellant is not in custody, as from the date on which he is received into prison under the sentence.

In this section references to a prison and imprisonment shall include respectively references to a Borstal institution, detention centre or place of safety and to detention in such institution, centre or place of safety, and any reference to a sentence shall be construed as a reference to a sentence passed by the court imposing sentence or by the High Court on appeal as the case may require.

Any document, production or other thing lodged in connection with the proceedings on the trial of any person who, if convicted, is entitled or may be authorised to appeal under this Part of this Act, shall, in accordance with the provisions of this section, be kept in the custody of the court in which the conviction took place.

All documents and other productions produced at the trial of a person convicted shall be kept for the period of ten days after the actual day on which the conviction took place in the custody of the court of trial in such manner as it may direct, and, failing direction, such custody shall be in the hands of the sheriff clerk of the district of the court of the second diet to whom the clerk of court shall hand them over at the close of the trial, unless otherwise ordered by the High Court on a note of appeal or application for leave to appeal being lodged, and if within such period of ten days or any extension thereof authorised by the High Court a note of appeal or of application for leave to appeal has been lodged under this Part of this Act, they shall be so kept until the determination thereof: Provided that the judge of the court in which the conviction took place may, on cause shown, grant an order authorising any of such documents or productions to be released on such conditions as to custody and return as he may deem it proper to prescribe.

All such documents or other productions so retained in custody or released and returned shall, under supervision of the custodian thereof, be made available for inspection and for the purpose of making copies of documents or productions to an appellant or applicant who has lodged a note of appeal or of application for leave to appeal or to his counsel or agent, and to the Crown Agent and the procurator-fiscal or his deputes.

In case no note of appeal or application for leave to appeal is lodged within such period of ten days or extension thereof as aforesaid, all such documents and productions shall be dealt with as they are in use to be dealt with according to the existing law and practice at the conclusion of a trial.

The Clerk of Justiciary shall keep a register, in such form as he thinks fit, of all oases in which he shall receive a note of appeal or note of application for leave to appeal under this Part of this Act, which register shall be open for public inspection at such place and at such hours as the Clerk of Justiciary, subject to the approval of the High Court, shall consider convenient.

The Clerk of Justiciary shall also take the necessary steps for preparing, from time to time, a list of cases to be dealt with by the High Court, and shall cause such list to be published in such manner as, subject to the approval of the High Court, he shall think convenient for giving due notice to any parties interested, of the hearing of such cases by the High Court.

Shorthand notes shall be taken of the proceedings at the trial of any person who, if convicted, is entitled or may be authorised to appeal under this Part of this Act, and on any appeal or application for leave to appeal a transcript of the notes or any part thereof shall be made if the Clerk of Justiciary so directs, and furnished to him for the use of the High Court or any judge thereof: Provided that a transcript shall be furnished to any party interested upon the payment of such charges as the Treasury may fix.

The Secretary of State may also, if he thinks fit in any case, direct a transcript of the shorthand notes to be made and furnished to him.

The cost of taking any such shorthand notes, and of any transcript where a transcript is directed to be made by the Clerk of the Justiciary or by the Secretary of State, shall be defrayed, in accordance with scales of payment fixed for the time being by the Treasury, out of moneys provided by Parliament.

In this section, the expression " proceedings at the trial" shall mean the whole proceedings, including discussions (a) on any objection to the relevancy of the indictment; (b) in reference to any challenge of jurors; and (c) on all questions arising in the course of the trial—with the decisions of the court thereon—the evidence led at the trial, any statement made by or on behalf of the prisoner, whether before or after verdict, the summing up by the judge, the speeches of counsel or agent, the verdict of the jury and sentence by the judge.

The shorthand writer shall sign the shorthand notes taken by him of any trial or proceeding and certify the same to be complete and correct shorthand notes thereof and shall retain the same unless and until he is directed by the Clerk of Justiciary to forward a transcript of such shorthand notes to him.

The shorthand writer shall, on being directed by the Clerk of Justiciary, furnish to him for the use of the High Court a transcript of the whole or of any part of the shorthand notes taken by him of any trial or proceeding in reference to which an appellant has appealed under this Part of this Act.

The shorthand writer shall also furnish to a party interested in a trial or other proceeding in relation to which a person may appeal under this Part of this Act, and to no other person, a transcript of the whole or of any part of the shorthand notes of any such trial or other proceeding on payment by such party interested to such shorthand writer of his charges on such scale as the Treasury may fix.

A party interested in an appeal under this Part of this Act may obtain from the Clerk of Justiciary a copy of any documentary production lodged by or for any other party to the appeal, upon payment therefor of the charges thereof on the scale referred to in the preceding subsection.

For the purposes of this and the last foregoing section, " a party interested " shall mean the prosecutor or the person convicted or any other person named in, or immediately affected by, any order made by the judge of the court in which the conviction took place, or other person authorised to act on behalf of a party interested, as herein defined.

Whenever a transcript of the whole or, of any part of such shorthand notes is required for the use of the High Court, such transcript may be made by the shorthand writer who took and certified the shorthand notes or by such other competent person as the Clerk of Justiciary may direct.

A transcript of the whole or any part of the shorthand notes relating to the case of any appellant which may be required for the use of the High Court shall be typewritten and certified by the person making the same to be a correct and complete transcript of the whole or of such part, as the case may be, of the shorthand notes purporting to have been taken, signed and certified by the shorthand writer who took the same.

Non-compliance with the provisions of this Act set out in subsection (2) of this section, or with any rule of practice for the time being in force under this Part of this Act (other than section 280 of this Act) relating to appeals and applications for leave to appeal, shall not prevent the further prosecution of an appeal or application if the High Court or a judge thereof consider it just and proper that such non-compliance be waived or remedied by amendment or otherwise. The High Court or a judge thereof may, in such manner as they or he think fit, direct the remedy of such non-compliance, and upon the same being remedied accordingly the appeal or application shall proceed.

The provisions of this Act referred to in subsection (1) of this section are:— section 229 section 250 section 232 section 251 section 233 section 253 section 234 section 257 section 235 section 259 section 236 section 260 section 237 section 261 section 239 section 264 section 241 section 265 section 242 section 267 section 243 section 269 section 244 section 270 section 246 section 272 section 248 section 273 section 249 section 275.