Introductory text

An Act of the Scottish Parliament to prohibit persons charged with certain sexual offences from conducting their own defence at the trial; to provide for the appointment of solicitors to defend those persons where they do not make those appointments themselves; to prevent those persons from personally precognoscing or taking statements from alleged victims; to require those persons to give notice of defences of consent; to make new provision about the admissibility of certain evidence bearing on the character, conduct or condition of alleged victims at trials of those persons for those offences; to provide for disclosure of those persons’ previous convictions of sexual offences where such evidence is allowed; and for connected purposes.

The Bill for this Act of the Scottish Parliament was passed by the Parliament on 6th March 2002 and received Royal Assent on 11th April 2002