Prisoners and Criminal Proceedings (Scotland) Act 1993

10 Life prisoners transferred to Scotland.S

[F1(1)In a case where a transferred life prisoner transferred from England and Wales (whether before or after the commencement of this enactment) is a life prisoner to whom section 28 of the M1Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 (duty to release certain life prisoners) applies, this Part of this Act except sections 1(4) and 2(9) shall apply as if—

(a)the prisoner were a designated life prisoner within the meaning of section 2 of this Act; and

(b)the designated part of his sentence within the meaning of that section were the relevant part specified in an order or direction made under the said section 28.]

[F2(2)In the case of any other transferred life prisoner, being one whose transfer occurred after the coming into force of section 3 of the Convention Rights (Compliance) (Scotland) Act 2001 (asp 7), subsection (3) below applies where the court, following a hearing under subsection (2J) below, makes an order under that subsection specifying a part of the sentence which the court considers would have been specified as the punishment part under subsection (2) of section 2 of this Act if—

(a)the prisoner had been sentenced for the offence in Scotland; and

(b)that section (as amended by section 3 of the Convention Rights (Compliance) (Scotland) Act 2001) had been in force at the time when the prisoner was sentenced.

(2A)The Scottish Ministers shall, as soon as reasonably practicable after the transferred life prisoner is transferred to Scotland, refer the case of the transferred life prisoner to the High Court of Justiciary for a hearing under subsection (2J) below.

(2B)The Scottish Ministers shall not so refer the case of a transferred life prisoner if the prisoner—

(a)has, under subsection (2C) below, waived the entitlement to such a hearing; or

(b)has served the part of the sentence specified in the certificate or direction referred to in subsection (2D) below.

(2C)A transferred life prisoner in respect of whom a certificate or direction referred to in subsection (2D) below has been issued or made may waive the entitlement to a hearing under subsection (2J) below provided—

(a)the prisoner has had independent legal advice or has declined such advice; and

(b)a copy in writing of the waiver is sent to the Scottish Ministers.

(2D)The certificate or direction referred to in subsection (2B)(b) above is—

(a)a certificate issued under—

(i)section 48 of or paragraph 9 of Schedule 12 to the Criminal Justice Act 1991 (c.53); or

(ii)section 33 of the 1997 Act;

(b)a direction of the Secretary of State made under—

(i)section 28(4) of the 1997 Act; or

(ii)section 82A(5) of the 2000 Act; or

(c)such other certificate or direction as the Scottish Ministers may, by order made by statutory instrument, specify.

(2E)Notwithstanding subsection (2A) above, a transferred life prisoner—

(a)who has not, under subsection (2C) above, waived the entitlement to a hearing; or

(b)who has not served the part of the sentence specified in the certificate or direction referred to in subsection (2D) above issued in respect of that prisoner,

may, after his transfer to Scotland, refer his case for a hearing under subsection (2J) below.

(2F)The Scottish Ministers shall, no later than two weeks after the referral of a transferred life prisoner’s case under subsection (2A) or (2E) above, send the documents and other information mentioned in subsection (2G) below to—

(a)the High Court of Justiciary;

(b)the Lord Advocate; and

(c)the transferred life prisoner.

(2G)The documents and other information referred to in subsection (2F) above are—

(a)a copy of the indictment or any corresponding document;

(b)subject to subsection (2H) below, a copy of any report by the trial judge;

(c)a copy of any certificate or direction referred to in subsection (2D) above; and

(d)any other documents or information which the Scottish Ministers consider relevant.

(2H)A report prepared by the trial judge—

(a)may be sent under subsection (2F) above notwithstanding that it was prepared on the basis that it would not be disclosed to the transferred life prisoner; and

(b)shall be so sent for the purposes only of the hearing under subsection (2J) below.

(2J)There shall be a hearing at which the High Court of Justiciary shall make the order referred to in subsection (2K) below.

(2K)That order is an order specifying a part of the sentence which the court considers would have been specified as the punishment part under subsection (2) of section 2 of this Act, if—

(a)the prisoner had been sentenced for the offence in Scotland; and

(b)that section (as amended by the Convention Rights (Compliance) (Scotland)) Act 2001 (asp 7)) had been in force at the time when the prisoner was sentenced.

(2L)The court, in considering the case of a transferred life prisoner—

(a)who is serving more than one sentence of imprisonment for life; and

(b)two or more of whose life sentences were imposed in proceedings on a single indictment,

shall, in making the order under subsection (2J) above, proceed as if the prisoner had been sentenced in Scotland and section 205D (only one sentence of imprisonment for life to be imposed in any proceedings) of the 1995 Act had been in force at the time the prisoner was sentenced.

(2M)Such a transferred life prisoner who, before being transferred to Scotland, had been released on licence, otherwise than on compassionate grounds, shall be deemed to have been released on licence under section 2(4) of this Act as if the transferred life prisoner had been a life prisoner to whom that section applied and who had served the punishment part of his sentence.

(2N)The reference in this section to a transferred life prisoner’s release on compassionate grounds has the same meaning as that reference has in section 10A of this Act.

(2P)The court shall pronounce the order under subsection (2J) above in open court.

(2Q)If the court is satisfied that the transferred life prisoner is incapable of properly instructing a solicitor in relation to the hearing under subsection (2J) above, whether or not the prisoner has so instructed a solicitor, it shall not make the order under that subsection.

(2R)If the Scottish Ministers are satisfied that the prisoner is no longer incapable of instructing a solicitor in relation to the hearing under subsection (2J) above, they shall, as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter, refer the case of the prisoner to the court for such a hearing.

(2S)In this section—

• “incapable” means incapable by reason of mental disorder or of inability to communicate because of physical disability; but a person shall not fall within this definition by reason only of a lack or deficiency in a faculty of communication if that lack or deficiency can be made good by human or mechanical aid (whether of an interpretative nature or otherwise); and

• “mental disorder” has the same meaning as it has in section 87 of the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 (asp 4).

(2T)Nothing in this section shall be taken as preventing a prisoner, in respect of whom the court declined, under subsection (2Q) above, to make the order under subsection (2J) above, from again referring his case for a hearing under subsection (2J) above.

(2U)A hearing under subsection (2J) above shall be criminal procedure for the purposes of section 305 of the 1995 Act (power of High Court of Justiciary to regulate criminal procedure by Act of Adjournal).]

(3)In a case to which this subsection applies, this Part of this Act except sections 1(4) and 2(9) shall apply as if—

(a)the transferred life prisoner were a [F3designated] life prisoner within the meaning of section 2 of this Act; and

(b)the [F4designated] part of his sentence within the meaning of that section were the part specified in the certificate.

(4)In this section “transferred life prisoner” means a person—

(a)on whom a court in a country or territory outside Scotland [F5or a court-martial] has [F6(whether before or after the commencement of this section)] imposed one or more sentences of imprisonment or detention for an indeterminate period; and

(b)who has been transferred to Scotland [F7[F8, or in the case of a sentence imposed by a court martial in Scotland to a prison in Scotland (in either case whether] before or after that commencement)], in pursuance of—

(i)an order made by the Secretary of State under [F9paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 to the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997] or section 2 of the M2Colonial Prisoners Removal Act 1884; or

(ii)a warrant issued by the Secretary of State under the M3Repatriation of Prisoners Act 1984, [F10; or

(iii)rules made under section 122(1)(a) of the M4Army Act 1955 (imprisonment and detention rules); or

(iv)rules made under section 122(1)(a) of the M5Air Force Act 1955 (imprisonment and detention rules); or

(v)a determination made under section 81(3) of the M6Naval Discipline Act 1957 (place of imprisonment or detention),]

there to serve, or to serve the remainder of, his sentence or sentences [F11; and in this subsection “prison” has the same meaning as in the 1989 Act.].

(5)Where a transferred life prisoner has been transferred to Scotland to serve the whole or part of two or more sentences referred to in subsection (4)(a) above—

(a)he shall be treated as a [F12designated] life prisoner (within the meaning of section 2 of this Act) for the purposes of subsection (3) above only if the requirements of subsection (2) above are satisfied in respect of each of those sentences; and

(b)notwithstanding the terms of any order under [F13the said section 28 of the M7Crime (Sentences) Act 1997] or of any certificate under subsection (2) above, subsections (4) and (6) of section 2 of this Act shall not apply to him until he has served the relevant part of each of those sentences.