Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971

• Citation: 1971 c. 58
• Sections: 64

Section 1 Secretary of State to be responsible for organisation and administration of sheriff courts.

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Section 2 Power of Secretary of State to alter sheriffdoms.

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(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2B) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Section 3 Sheriff court districts and places where sheriff courts are to be held.

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(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2B) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(5A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Section 4 Offices of sheriff principal and sheriff.

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Section 5 Qualification for offices of sheriff principal and sheriff.

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Section 5A Retiring age for sheriff principal and sheriff.

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Section 6 Disqualification of sheriffs principal and sheriffs.

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Section 7 Jurisdiction of sheriff.

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Section 8 Sheriff may be appointed to assist Secretary of State.

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Section 9 Power of Secretary of State to give administrative directions.

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Section 10 Secretary of State may authorise sheriff principal or direct sheriff to act in another sheriffdom.

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Section 11 Secretary of State may appoint temporary sheriffs principal and sheriffs.

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Section 11A Appointment of part-time sheriffs

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Section 11B Limitation, termination etc. of appointment of part-time sheriffs

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Section 11C Removal of part-time sheriffs from office

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Section 11D Regulations and orders under sections 11A and 11C

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Section 12 Removal from office, and suspension, of sheriff principal or sheriff.

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Section 12A Tribunal to consider fitness for shrieval office

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Section 12B Suspension during investigation

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Section 12C Further provision about tribunals

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Section 12D Report of tribunal

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Section 12E Removal from office

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Section 12F Interpretation of sections 12A to 12E

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Section 13 Functions of Secretary of State with respect to residence and leave of absence of sheriffs principal.

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Section 14 Functions of Secretary of State with respect to number, residence and place of duties of sheriffs.

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Section 14A Re-employment of retired sheriffs principal and sheriffs

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Section 15 Efficient disposal of business in sheriff courts

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Section 16 Functions of sheriff principal with respect to duties and leave of absence of sheriffs.

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Section 17 Sheriff principal may fix sittings and business of sheriff courts in sheriffdom, and sessions for civil business.

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Section 17A Lord President's power to exercise functions in sections 15 to 17

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Section 18 Secretary of State may exercise certain functions of sheriff principal in certain circumstances.

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Section 19 Travelling allowances for sheriffs principal.

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Section 20 Extension of purposes for which Lord Advocate may give instructions to procurators fiscal.

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Section 22 Saving for existing functions.

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Section 23 Transfer of court houses to Secretary of State.

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Section 24 Provision and maintenance of court houses by Secretary of State.

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Section 25 Use of public buildings for holding of courts.

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Section 26 Use of court houses by third parties.

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Section 27 Compensation for officers and servants.

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Section 28 Repeal and amendment of local enactments.

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Section 29 Determination of disputes.

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Section 30 Interpretation of Part II.

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Section 31 Upper limit to privative jurisdiction of sheriff court to be £250.

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Section 32 Power of Court of Session to regulate civil procedure in sheriff court.

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Section 32A Rules for lay representation

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Section 33 Sheriff Court Rules Council.

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Section 34 Functions of Sheriff Court Rules Council.

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Section 35 Summary causes.

(1) The definition of “summary cause” contained in paragraph (i) of section 3 of the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1907 shall cease to have effect, and for the purposes of the procedure and practice in civil proceedings in the sheriff court there shall be a form of process, to be known as a “summary cause”, which shall be used for the purposes of all civil proceedings brought in that court, being proceedings of one or other of the following descriptions, namely—

(a) actions for payment of money not exceeding £5000 in amount (exclusive of interest and expenses);

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

(c) actions ad factum praestandum and actions for the recovery of possession of heritable or moveable property, other than actions in which there is claimed in addition, or as an alternative, to a decree ad factum praestandum or for such recovery, as the case may be, a decree for payment of money exceeding £5000 in amount (exclusive of interest and expenses);

(d) proceedings which, according to the law and practice existing immediately before the commencement of this Act, might competently be brought in the sheriff’s small debt court or were required to be conducted and disposed of in the summary manner in which proceedings were conducted and disposed of under the Small Debt Acts;

and any reference in the following provisions of this Act, or in any other enactment (whether passed or made before or after the commencement of this Act) relating to civil procedure in the sheriff court, to a summary cause shall be construed as a reference to a summary cause within the meaning of this subsection.

(1A) For the avoidance of doubt it is hereby declared that nothing in subsection (1) above shall prevent the Court of Session from making different rules of procedure and practice in relation to different descriptions of summary cause proceedings.

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Section 36 Procedure in summary causes.

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(2) A summary cause shall be commenced by a summons in, or as nearly as is practicable in, such form as may be prescribed by rules under the said section 32.

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

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Section 36A Further provisions as to small claims.

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