{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/prisons-scotland-act-1989/section-15",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/prisons-scotland-act-1989/section-15.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1989/45",
  "legislation_title": "Prisons (Scotland) Act 1989",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/prisons-scotland-act-1989",
  "path": "section/15",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "15",
  "heading": "Right of sheriff or justice to visit prison.",
  "text": "(1) A sheriff , summary sheriff or justice of the peace may visit any prison within his jurisdiction or in which a prisoner is confined for any offence committed within his jurisdiction, and may examine the condition of the prison and of the prisoners therein and enter in the visitors book to be kept by the governor of the prison any observations on the condition of the prison or on any abuses therein.\n(2) Nothing in the foregoing subsection shall authorise a sheriff , summary sheriff or justice of the peace to communicate with any prisoner except on the subject of his treatment in the prison nor to visit any prisoner under sentence of death.\n(3) It shall be the duty of the governor of a prison to draw the attention of an independent prison monitor to any entry in the visitors book made in pursuance of this sectionat the next time such a monitor visits the prison.",
  "extent": "S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 15(1) inserted (1.4.2016) by The Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (Consequential Provisions) Order 2016 (S.S.I. 2016/142), art. 1, sch. para. 2(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 15(2) inserted (1.4.2016) by The Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (Consequential Provisions) Order 2016 (S.S.I. 2016/142), art. 1, sch. para. 2(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 15(3) substituted (31.8.2015) by The Public Services Reform (Inspection and Monitoring of Prisons) (Scotland) Order 2015 (S.S.I. 2015/39), arts. 1, 2(7)(a) (with art. 5)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 15(3) inserted (31.8.2015) by The Public Services Reform (Inspection and Monitoring of Prisons) (Scotland) Order 2015 (S.S.I. 2015/39), arts. 1, 2(7)(b) (with art. 5)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 15(1) modified (3.2.1995) by 1994 c. 33, s. 110(3); S.I. 1995/127, art. 2(1), Sch. 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 15(3) modified (3.2.1995) by 1994 c. 33, s. 110(3); S.I. 1995/127, art. 2(1), Sch. 1"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/45/section/15",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:44:44.436072+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."
}