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Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2016

2016 asp 1 · Enacted 13 January 2016 · Extends to Scotland

Not fully up to date. 3 changes made by later legislation have not yet been written into this text, which is revised to 30 March 2026.

See the changes not yet applied
ProvisionChangeMade by
Ch. 2BinsertedVictims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 s. 104(2)
Pt. 1power to modify conferredChildren (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Act 2026 s. 59
Actexpiry of affecting provision 2022 asp 8, sch. para. 15Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Act 2022 (Extension and Expiry of Temporary Justice Measures) 2023 reg. 2(a)

An Act of the Scottish Parliament to make provision about criminal justice including as to police powers and rights of suspects and as to criminal evidence, procedure and sentencing; to establish the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland; and for connected purposes.

The Bill for this Act of the Scottish Parliament was passed by the Parliament on 8th December 2015 and received Royal Assent on 13th January 2016C1

Annotations to the whole text

Modifications

C1

Act modified (temp.) (1.10.2022) by Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Act 2022 (asp 8), s. 59(1), sch. para. 15(3)

Contents

  1. Part 1: ARREST AND CUSTODY
  2. Chapter 1: ARREST BY POLICE
  3. Arrest without warrant
  4. 1Power of a constable
  5. 2Exercise of the power
  6. Procedure following arrest
  7. 3Information to be given on arrest
  8. 4Arrested person to be taken to police station
  9. 5Information to be given at police station
  10. 6Information to be recorded by police
  11. Chapter 2: CUSTODY: PERSON NOT OFFICIALLY ACCUSED
  12. Keeping person in custody
  13. 7Authorisation for keeping in custody
  14. 8Information to be given on authorisation
  15. 912 hour limit: general rule
  16. 1012 hour limit: previous period
  17. 11Authorisation for keeping in custody beyond 12 hour limit
  18. 12Information to be given on authorisation under section 11
  19. 13Custody review
  20. 14Test for sections 7, 11 and 13
  21. 15Medical treatment
  22. Investigative liberation
  23. 16Release on conditions
  24. 17Conditions ceasing to apply
  25. 18Modification or removal of conditions
  26. 19Review of conditions
  27. Chapter 3: CUSTODY: PERSON OFFICIALLY ACCUSED
  28. Person to be brought before court
  29. 20Information to be given in particular cases
  30. 21Person to be brought before court
  31. 22Under 18s to be kept in place of safety prior to court
  32. 23Notice to parent that under 18 to be brought before court
  33. 24Notice to local authority that under 18 to be brought before court
  34. Police liberation
  35. 25Liberation by police
  36. 26Release on undertaking
  37. 27Modification of undertaking
  38. 28Rescission of undertaking
  39. 29Expiry of undertaking
  40. 29AExpiry of undertaking: coronavirus-related reason for non-appearance Repealed
  41. 30Review of undertaking
  42. Chapter 4: POLICE INTERVIEW
  43. Rights of suspects
  44. 31Information to be given before interview
  45. 32Right to have solicitor present
  46. 33Consent to interview without solicitor
  47. Person not officially accused
  48. 34Questioning following arrest
  49. Person officially accused
  50. 35Authorisation for questioning
  51. 36Authorisation: further provision
  52. 37Arrest to facilitate questioning
  53. Chapter 5: RIGHTS OF SUSPECTS IN POLICE CUSTODY
  54. Intimation and access to another person
  55. 38Right to have intimation sent to other person
  56. 39Right to have intimation sent: under 18s
  57. 40Right of under 18s to have access to other person
  58. 41Social work involvement in relation to under 18s
  59. Vulnerable persons
  60. 42Support for vulnerable persons
  61. Intimation and access to a solicitor
  62. 43Right to have intimation sent to solicitor
  63. 44Right to consultation with solicitor
  64. Chapter 6: POLICE POWERS AND DUTIES
  65. Powers of police
  66. 45Use of reasonable force
  67. 46Common law power of entry
  68. 47Common law power of search etc.
  69. 48Power of search etc. on arrest
  70. 49Taking drunk persons to designated place
  71. Duties of police
  72. 50Duty not to detain unnecessarily
  73. 51Duty to consider child's wellbeing
  74. 52Duties in relation to children in custody
  75. 53Duty to inform Principal Reporter if child not being prosecuted
  76. Chapter 7: GENERAL
  77. Common law and enactments
  78. 54Abolition of pre-enactment powers of arrest
  79. 55Abolition of requirement for constable to charge
  80. 56Consequential modification
  81. Code of practice about investigative functions
  82. 57Code of practice about investigative functions
  83. Modifications to Part as it applies in certain cases
  84. 57AArrest without warrant otherwise than in respect of an offence
  85. 57BArrest under warrant other than an initiating warrant
  86. 57CModifications applying by virtue of sections 57A and 57B
  87. 57DArrest under an extradition arrest power
  88. Disapplication of Part
  89. 58Disapplication in relation to service offences
  90. 59Disapplication in relation to cases involving terrorism
  91. Powers to modify Part
  92. 60Further provision about application of Part
  93. 61Further provision about vulnerable persons
  94. Interpretation of Part
  95. 62Meaning of constable
  96. 63Meaning of officially accused
  97. 64Meaning of police custody
  98. Part 2: SEARCH BY POLICE
  99. Chapter 1: SEARCH OF PERSON NOT IN POLICE CUSTODY
  100. Lawfulness of search by constable
  101. 65Limitation on what enables search
  102. 66Cases involving removal of person
  103. 67Public safety at premises or events
  104. 68Duty to consider child's wellbeing
  105. Miscellaneous and definitions
  106. 69Publication of information by police
  107. 70Provisions about possession of alcohol Not yet in force
  108. 71Matters as to effect of sections 65, 66 and 70
  109. 72Meaning of constable etc.
  110. Chapter 2: CODE OF PRACTICE
  111. Making and status of code
  112. 73Contents of code of practice
  113. 74Review of code of practice
  114. 75Legal status of code of practice
  115. Procedure applying to code
  116. 76Consultation on code of practice
  117. 77Bringing code of practice into effect
  118. Part 3: SOLEMN PROCEDURE
  119. 78Proceedings on petition
  120. 79Pre-trial time limits
  121. 80Duty of parties to communicate
  122. 81First diets
  123. 82Preliminary hearings
  124. 83Plea of guilty
  125. Part 4: SENTENCING
  126. Maximum term for weapons offences
  127. 84Maximum term for weapons offences
  128. Prisoners on early release Not yet in force
  129. 85Sentencing under the 1995 Act Not yet in force
  130. 86Sentencing under the 1993 Act Not yet in force
  131. Part 5: APPEALS AND SCCRC
  132. Appeals
  133. 87Preliminary pleas in summary cases
  134. 88Preliminary diets in solemn cases
  135. 89Extending certain time limits: summary
  136. 90Extending certain time limits: solemn
  137. 91Certain lateness not excusable
  138. 92Advocation in solemn proceedings
  139. 93Advocation in summary proceedings
  140. 94Finality of appeal proceedings
  141. 95Courts reform: spent provisions
  142. SCCRC
  143. 96References by SCCRC
  144. Part 6: MISCELLANEOUS
  145. Chapter 1: PUBLICATION OF PROSECUTORIAL TEST
  146. 97Publication of prosecutorial test
  147. Chapter 2: SUPPORT FOR VULNERABLE PERSONS
  148. 98Meaning of appropriate adult support
  149. 99Responsibility for ensuring availability of appropriate adults
  150. 100Assessment of quality of appropriate adult support
  151. 101Training for appropriate adults
  152. 102Recommendations from quality assessor and training provider
  153. 103Duty to ensure quality assessment takes place
  154. 104Elaboration of regulation-making powers under this Chapter
  155. 105Procedure for making regulations under this Chapter
  156. 106Other powers of Ministers unaffected
  157. Chapter 3: NOTIFICATION IF PARENT OF UNDER 18 IMPRISONED Not yet in force
  158. 107Child's named person to be notified Not yet in force
  159. 108Definition of certain expressions Not yet in force
  160. Chapter 4: STATEMENTS AND PROCEDURE
  161. Statements by accused
  162. 109Statements by accused
  163. Use of technology
  164. 110Live television links
  165. 111Electronic proceedings
  166. Chapter 5: AUTHORISATION UNDER PART III OF THE POLICE ACT 1997
  167. 112Authorisation of persons other than constables
  168. Chapter 6: POLICE NEGOTIATING BOARD FOR SCOTLAND
  169. 113Establishment and functions
  170. 114Consequential and transitional
  171. Part 7: FINAL PROVISIONS
  172. Ancillary and definition
  173. 115Ancillary regulations
  174. 116Meaning of “the 1995 Act”
  175. Commencement and short title
  176. 117Commencement
  177. 118Short title
  178. Schedule 1: BREACH OF LIBERATION CONDITION
  179. Offence of breaching condition
  180. 1Paragraph 1
  181. Sentencing for the offence
  182. 2Paragraph 2
  183. Breach by committing offence
  184. 3Paragraph 3
  185. Matters for paragraph 3(2)(b)
  186. 4Paragraph 4
  187. Matters for paragraph 3(2)(c)
  188. 5Paragraph 5
  189. Evidential presumptions
  190. 6Paragraph 6
  191. Interpretation
  192. 7Paragraph 7
  193. Schedule 2: MODIFICATIONS IN CONNECTION WITH PART 1
  194. Part 1: PROVISIONS AS TO ARREST
  195. Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995
  196. 1Paragraph 1
  197. 2Paragraph 2
  198. 3Paragraph 3
  199. Miscellaneous enactments
  200. 4Paragraph 4
  201. 5Paragraph 5
  202. 6Paragraph 6
  203. 7Paragraph 7
  204. 8Paragraph 8
  205. 9Paragraph 9
  206. 10Paragraph 10
  207. 11Paragraph 11
  208. 12Paragraph 12
  209. 13Paragraph 13
  210. 14Paragraph 14
  211. 15Paragraph 15
  212. 16Paragraph 16
  213. 17Paragraph 17
  214. 18Paragraph 18
  215. 19Paragraph 19
  216. 20Paragraph 20
  217. 21Paragraph 21
  218. 22Paragraph 22
  219. 23Paragraph 23
  220. 24Paragraph 24
  221. 25Paragraph 25
  222. Part 2: FURTHER MODIFICATIONS
  223. The 1995 Act
  224. 26Paragraph 26
  225. 27Paragraph 27
  226. 28Paragraph 28
  227. 29Paragraph 29
  228. 30Paragraph 30
  229. 31Paragraph 31
  230. 32Paragraph 32
  231. 33Paragraph 33
  232. 34Paragraph 34
  233. Other enactments
  234. 35Paragraph 35
  235. 36Paragraph 36
  236. 37Paragraph 37
  237. 38Paragraph 38
  238. 39Paragraph 39
  239. 40Paragraph 40
  240. 41Paragraph 41
  241. Schedule 3: POLICE NEGOTIATING BOARD FOR SCOTLAND
  242. Paragraph