Citation and commencement

1.—(1) This Act of Sederunt may be cited as the Act of Sederunt (Chancery Procedure Rules 2006) Amendment (Vulnerable Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2004) 2007 and shall come into force on 1st November 2007.

(2) This Act of Sederunt shall be inserted in the Books of Sederunt.

Chancery Procedure Rules

2.—(1) In the Act of Sederunt (Chancery Procedure Rules) 2006(3), Schedule 1 (Chancery Procedure Rules) is amended in accordance with the following sub-paragraph.

(2) After rule 5 (evidence) there shall be inserted the following:–

“Vulnerable witnesses

6.—(1) At any hearing on an application under these rules the sheriff shall ascertain whether there is or is likely to be a vulnerable witness who is to give evidence at or for the purposes of any proof or hearing, consider any child witness notice or vulnerable witness application that has been lodged where no order has been made under section 12(1) or (6) of the Vulnerable Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2004(4) and consider whether any order under section 12(1) of the that Act requires to be made.

(2) Except where the sheriff otherwise directs, where a vulnerable witness is to give evidence at or for the purposes of any proof or hearing in an application under these rules, any application in relation to the vulnerable witness or special measure that may be ordered shall be dealt with in accordance with the rules within Chapter 45 of the Ordinary Cause Rules in the First Schedule to the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1907(5).

(3) In this rule, “vulnerable witness” means a witness within the meaning of section 11(1) of the Vulnerable Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2004.”.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Act of Sederunt)

This Act of Sederunt amends the Chancery Procedure Rules 2006. It gives the sheriff the same powers to deal with applications in relation to vulnerable witnesses, and the special measures that may be ordered in relation to vulnerable witnesses within the meaning of the Vulnerable Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2004 (“the 2004 Act”), that are held by the sheriff under Chapter 45 of the Ordinary Cause Rules in the First Schedule to the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1907.

The amendment is consequent upon the 2004 Act being commenced where a person who is a vulnerable witness within the meaning of section 11(1) of the 2004 Act is giving or is to give evidence in or for the purposes of any civil proceedings.