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Sheriff Clerks, Procurators Fiscal, &c
2. Appointment of sheriff clerk and procurator fiscal deputes
3. Whole-time sheriff clerks and procurators fiscal and deputes
4. Vacancy in office of sheriff clerk, procurator fiscal or deputes
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An Act to amend the law relating to the offices of Sheriff Clerk, Procurator Fiscal, and Commissary Clerk in Scotland, and to make further provisions regarding Sheriff Courts.
[22nd December 1927]
(1)The right of appointing to and removing from the office of sheriff clerk shall be vested in one of His Majesty’s Principal Secretaries of State. There shall be a sheriff clerk for each [F1sheriffdom] in Scotland as heretofore, provided that it shall be lawful for the Secretary of State, where the division of sheriff court districts or other circumstances appear to him to render such a course expedient, to appoint a sheriff clerk for an area other than a [F1sheriffdom]whether situated entirely within one [F1sheriffdom] or not.
(2)The right of appointing to and removing from the office of procurator fiscal shall be vested in the Lord Advocate, and the Lord Advocate may F2. . . from time to time fix the number of procurators fiscal in Scotland, and the limits of the districts for which such procurators fiscal shall act.
(3)Notwithstanding anything in either of the foregoing subsections [F3but subject to subsections (4) and (5) below], no sheriff clerk or procurator fiscal shall be removed from his office except upon a report by the Lord President of the Court of Session and the Lord Justice Clerk:
Provided that no such report shall be required in any case of retirement of a sheriff clerk or procurator fiscal in circumstances which would qualify him for an award under [F4the principal civil service pension scheme within the meaning of section 2 of the M1Superannuation Act 1972 and for the time being in force], or in consequence of the operation of an age limit.
[F5(4)The right vested—
(a)in the Secretary of State under subsection (1) above shall include the right to transfer the sheriff clerk of one sheriff court district to an office, whether of sheriff clerk or (however styled) of sheriff clerk depute, in another sheriff court district;
(b)in the Lord Advocate under subsection (2) above shall include the right to transfer the procurator fiscal of one district to an office, whether of procurator fiscal or (however styled) of procurator fiscal depute, in another district,
where in the opinion of the Secretary of State or, as the case may be, of the Lord Advocate the transfer is for the purpose of securing efficient organisation and administration.
(5)It is hereby declared that, for the purposes of subsection (3) above, a transfer under subsection (4) above is not a removal from office.]
F1Word substituted by virtue of Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971 (c. 58), Sch. 1 para. 1
F2Words in s. 1(2) repealed (1.7.1999) by 1998 c. 46, s. 125(1)(2), Sch. 8 para. 3(2), Sch. 9 (with s. 126(3)-(11)); S.I. 1998/3178, art. 2(1)
F3Words inserted by Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1985 (c. 73, SIF 36:1), s. 47(a)
F4Words substituted by Superannuation Act 1972 (c. 11), s. 29, Sch. 6 para. 9
F5S. 1(4)(5) added by Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1985 (c.73, SIF 36:1), s. 47(b)
M11972 c. 11.
In each [F1sheriffdom]or district the Secretary of State and the Lord Advocate may respectively, F2. . ., appoint such sheriff clerk deputes or procurator fiscal deputes as may be necessary.
F1Word substituted by virtue of Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971 (c. 58), Sch. 1 para. 1
F2Words in s. 2 repealed (1.7.1999) by 1998 c. 46, s. 125(1)(2), Sch. 8 para. 3(3), Sch. 9 (with s. 126(3)-(11)); S.I. 1998/3178, art. 2(1)
The Secretary of State in the case of the office of any sheriff clerk or sheriff clerk depute, and the Lord Advocate in the case of the office of any procurator fiscal or procurator fiscal depute, F1. . ., may from time to time, having regard to the amount of business to be performed, determine that such office shall be a whole-time office; and no person appointed to any such office under this Act (in this Act referred to as a whole-time officer) shall engage directly or indirectly in practice as a law agent or carry on any employment of such a nature as will, in the opinion of the Secretary of State or of the Lord Advocate as the case may be, interfere with the due discharge of the duties of his office.
F1Words in s. 3 repealed (1.7.1999) by 1998 c. 46, s. 125(1)(2), Sch. 8 para. 3(4), Sch. 9 (with s. 126(3)-(11)); S.I. 1998/3178, art. 2(1)
In the case of a vacancy in the office of sheriff clerk, sheriff clerk depute, procurator fiscal or procurator fiscal depute, or in the case of the incapacity of any such officer, it shall be lawful for the Secretary of State and the Lord Advocate respectively to give directions for the discharge during the vacancy or incapacity of the duties of such officer by any other officer in the sheriff clerk or procurator fiscal service respectively, or by any other fit person.
The Secretary of State and the Lord Advocate may respectively, F1. . ., appoint such whole-time clerks or other whole-time assistants to a sheriff clerk or procurator fiscal as may be deemed necessary, and such clerks or other assistants are in this Act referred to as whole-time clerks.
F1Words in s. 5 repealed (1.7.1999) by 1998 c. 46, s. 125(1)(2), Sch. 8 para. 3(5), Sch. 9 (with s. 126(3)-(11)); S.I. 1998/3178, art. 2(1)
F1S. 6 omitted (1.7.1999) by S.I. 1999/1820, arts. 1(2), 4, Sch. 2 Pt. 1 para. 14(2), Pt. IV
F1S. 7 repealed by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1989 (c. 43), s. 1(1), Sch. 1 Pt. I Gp. 3
(1)The Secretary of State as regards sheriff clerks and the Lord Advocate as regards procurators fiscal may from time to time issue such instructions as may be deemed necessary for the purpose of giving effect to the provisions of this Act.
(2)The Secretary of State may from time to time by order make such modifications and adaptations of the provisions of any enactment as may be necessary in consequence of the exercise of the power vested in him by subsection (1) of section one of this Act to appoint a sheriff clerk for an area other than a [F1sheriffdom].
F1Word substituted by virtue of Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971 (c. 58), Sch. 1 para. 1
C1S. 8(1) amended by Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971 (c. 58), s. 20
Notwithstanding anything contained in section two of this Act, it shall be lawful for a sheriff clerk with the consent of the Secretary of State, and for a procurator fiscal with the consent of the Lord Advocate, to grant a deputation to a fit person for whose actings (except in the case where such person is a whole-time clerk) he shall be responsible.
The commissary clerk of Edinburgh shall, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to be a sheriff clerk, and the provisions of this Act with regard to sheriff clerk deputes and clerks in the office of sheriff clerks shall apply to deputes and clerks in the office of the said commissary clerk accordingly.
F1S. 11 repealed by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1975 (c. 10), Sch. Pt. XIV
It shall be lawful for the Lord Advocate, F1. . ., by Order to direct in the case of any Act of Parliament that, notwithstanding anything therein contained all proceedings in the sheriff court under the Summary Jurisdiction (Scotland) Acts for a contravention of or an offence against such Act of Parliament shall be taken by and at the instance of the procurator fiscal, F2. . ..
F1Words in s. 12 repealed (1.7.1999) by 1998 c. 46, s. 125(1)(2), Sch. 8 para. 3(6), Sch. 9 (with s. 126(3)-(11)); S.I. 1998/3178, art. 2(1)
F2Words in s. 12 omitted (1.7.1999) by S.I. 1999/1820, arts. 1(2), 4, Sch. 2 Pt. 1 para. 14(3), Pt. IV
F1S. 13 omitted (1.7.1999) by S.I. 1999/1820, arts. 1(2), 4, Sch. 2 Pt. 1 para. 14(4), Pt. IV
Sheriff Courts and Legal Officers (Scotland) Act 1927