{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/sexual-offences-procedure-and-evidence-scotland-act-2002/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/sexual-offences-procedure-and-evidence-scotland-act-2002/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "asp/2002/9",
  "legislation_title": "Sexual Offences (Procedure and Evidence) (Scotland) Act 2002",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/sexual-offences-procedure-and-evidence-scotland-act-2002",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "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.\nThe 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",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2002/9/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T20:17:02.932661+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."
}