{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-justice-scotland-act-2003/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-justice-scotland-act-2003/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "asp/2003/7",
  "legislation_title": "Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-justice-scotland-act-2003",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "text": "An Act of the Scottish Parliament to make provision in relation to criminal justice, criminal procedure and evidence in criminal proceedings; to make provision as to the arrest, sentencing, custody and release of offenders and the obtaining of reports in relation to offenders; to make provision for the provision of assistance by local authorities to persons who are arrested and are in police custody or who are subject to a deferred sentence and for the making of grants to local authorities exercising jointly certain functions in relation to offenders and other persons; to make provision for the protection of the public at large from persons with a propensity to commit certain offences and for the establishment of the Risk Management Authority; to make provision for the granting of certain rights to the victims of crime; to make provision as to the jurisdiction of courts and the designation of certain courts as drugs courts; to make provision in relation to the physical punishment of children; to create offences in connection with traffic in prostitution or for purposes connected with pornography; to make provision as to the criminal law as it relates to bribery and the acceptance of bribes; to make provision in relation to criminal legal assistance; to require the aggravation of an offence by religious prejudice to be taken into account in sentencing; to make provision as respects police ranks and the powers and duties of certain civilians employed by police authorities; to make provision for the disqualification of convicted persons from jury service in both criminal and civil proceedings and for the separation of juries after retiral; to make provision for the use of live television links between prisons and courts; to make provision in relation to warrants to search; to amend Part V of the Police Act 1997 in its application to Scotland; to make provision in relation to the prohibition of certain matters in respect of cases referred to the Principal Reporter; to amend the law relating to penalties for wildlife offences; and for connected purposes.\nThe Bill for this Act of the Scottish Parliament was passed by the Parliament on 20th February 2003 and received Royal Assent on 26th March 2003",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2003/7/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T20:16:51.376466+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}