The Scottish Civil Justice Council replaced the Court of Session Rules Council and the Sheriff Court Rules Council on 28 May 2013. The Scottish Civil Council will take over the rule drafting functions of those bodies and will also have a new, wider, role to advise and make recommendations on the civil justice system
Civil Proceedings
About the Scottish Civil Justice Council
The Scottish Civil Justice Council was established on 28 May 2013 under The Scottish Civil Justice Council and Criminal Legal Assistance Act 2013.
The Scottish Civil Justice Council replaces the existing Court of Session Rules Council and the Sheriff Court Rules Council. The new Council will take over the rule drafting functions of those bodies and will also have a new, wider, role to advise and make recommendations on the civil justice system.
The creation of a single civil rules council for Scotland was one of the recommendations of the Scottish Civil Courts Review. Many of the review recommendations will need new rules of court and the Scottish Civil Justice Council, which will have oversight of the entire civil justice system, will be responsible for taking these forward. It will also be responsible for keeping the civil justice system under constant review.
Criminal Proceedings
Criminal Court Rules Council
The Criminal Courts Rules Council was established under section 304 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 with the following functions:
- to keep under general review the procedures and practices of the courts exercising criminal jurisdiction in Scotland;
- to consider and comment on any draft Act of Adjournal submitted to it by the High Court.