# The Scottish Administration (Offices) Order 2026, Note: Explanatory note


(This note is not part of the Order)
This Order specifies the Clerk of the Sexual Offences Court and Deputy Clerks of the Sexual Offences Court as offices in the Scottish Administration which are not ministerial offices for the purposes of the Scotland Act 1998.
Sections 86 and 87 of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 set out the arrangements for the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service to appoint a Clerk of the Sexual Offences Court and Deputy Clerks of the Sexual Offences Court, respectively.
This Order is required to make the Clerk and Deputy Clerks of the Sexual Offences Court members of the Scottish Administration. These are new offices and are to be office holders in the Scottish Administration in the same way as the existing posts of—
Principal, Depute, Assistant or other Clerk in the Justiciary Office of the High Court of Justiciary,
Sheriff Clerk and Sheriff Clerk Depute,
Clerk and Deputy Clerks of the Sheriff Appeal Court.
A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/1097/note (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/scottish-administration-offices-order-2026/note
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.