{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-procedure-scotland-act-1995/section-138",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-procedure-scotland-act-1995/section-138.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1995/46",
  "legislation_title": "Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-procedure-scotland-act-1995",
  "path": "section/138",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "138",
  "heading": "Complaints.",
  "text": "(1) All proceedings under this Part of this Act for the trial of offences or recovery of penalties shall be instituted by complaint signed by the prosecutor or by a solicitor on behalf of a prosecutor other than the procurator fiscal.\n(2) The complaint shall be in the form—\n(a) set out in Schedule 5 to this Act; or\n(b) prescribed by Act of Adjournal,\nor as nearly as may be in such form.\n(3) A solicitor may appear for and conduct any prosecution on behalf of a prosecutor other than the procurator fiscal.\n(4) Schedule 3 to this Act shall have effect as regards complaints under this Act.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1995/46/section/138",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-05T03:43:46.035735+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."
}