{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/forced-marriage-etc-protection-and-jurisdiction-scotland-act-2011/section-4",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/forced-marriage-etc-protection-and-jurisdiction-scotland-act-2011/section-4.json",
  "legislation": "asp/2011/15",
  "legislation_title": "Forced Marriage etc. (Protection and Jurisdiction) (Scotland) Act 2011",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/forced-marriage-etc-protection-and-jurisdiction-scotland-act-2011",
  "path": "section/4",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "4",
  "heading": "Power to make orders without application, etc.",
  "text": "(1) The court may make a forced marriage protection order without an application being made to it where—\n(a) civil proceedings are before the court,\n(b) the court considers that a forced marriage protection order should be made to protect a person (whether or not a party to the civil proceedings), and\n(c) a person who would be a party to any proceedings for the forced marriage protection order (other than as the protected person) is a party to the civil proceedings.\n(2) Subsection (3) applies where—\n(a) criminal proceedings are before the sheriff , the Sheriff Appeal Court or the High Court, and\n(b) the sheriff , the Sheriff Appeal Court or the High Court considers that a forced marriage protection order should be made to protect a person (whether or not a party to the criminal proceedings).\n(3) The sheriff , the Sheriff Appeal Court or, as the case may be, the High Court may refer the matter to the Lord Advocate who may—\n(a) apply under section 3 for a forced marriage protection order,\n(b) take such other steps as the Lord Advocate considers appropriate.",
  "extent": "S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 4(2)(a) inserted (28.11.2016) by The Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (Relevant Officer and Consequential Provisions) Order 2016 (S.S.I. 2016/387), art. 1, sch. 3 para. 7(2)(a)(i) (with art. 4(2))"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 4(2)(b) inserted (28.11.2016) by The Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (Relevant Officer and Consequential Provisions) Order 2016 (S.S.I. 2016/387), art. 1, sch. 3 para. 7(2)(a)(ii) (with art. 4(2))"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 4(3) inserted (28.11.2016) by The Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (Relevant Officer and Consequential Provisions) Order 2016 (S.S.I. 2016/387), art. 1, sch. 3 para. 7(2)(b) (with art. 4(2))"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 4 in force at 28.11.2011 by S.S.I. 2011/352, art. 2"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2011/15/section/4",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T20:15:01.060316+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."
}