Citation and commencement

1.-(1) This Act of Adjournal may be cited as the Act of Adjournal (Criminal Procedure Rules Amendment No. 5) 1997 and shall come into force on 1st September 1997.

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

Amendment of the Criminal Procedure Rules

2.-(1) Schedule 2 (criminal procedure rules) to the Act of Adjournal (Criminal Procedure Rules) 1996(3) shall be amended in accordance with this Act of Adjournal.

(2) After rule 20.3 insert-�

"Sexual offences to which Part I of Sex Offenders Act 1997 applies

20.3A -�

(1) A certificate in terms of section 5(2) of the Sex Offenders Act 1997(4) (certificate for the purposes of Part I of that Act that an accused has been convicted of, found not guilty by reason of insanity of, or found to be under a disability and to have done an Act charged against him in respect of, a sexual offence to which that Part applies) shall be in Form 20.3A-A.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3) of this rule, when a certificate such as is mentioned in paragraph (1) of this rule is prepared, the accused shall be given a copy of it by the clerk of the court, together with a notice in Form 20.3A-B.

(3) If the certificate is not prepared immediately after the statement in open court but is to be prepared subsequently, the clerk of the court shall forthwith give the accused the notice required by paragraph (2) of this rule and shall in due course send a copy of the certificate to the accused.

(4) The clerk of the court shall retain a copy of the notice given to the accused and shall record on that copy the fact that notice has been so given.

(5) The record made under paragraph (4) of this rule shall be sufficient evidence of the fact recorded; and a certificate of posting sufficient evidence of the sending of a copy under paragraph (3) of this rule.".

(3) After rule 27.4(5) insert-�

"Notice under section 16B(4) of Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995

27.5 -�

(1) Any notice under section 16B(4) of the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995 (notice served on prosecutor by person accused of sexual offence disputing whether an act done by him abroad constituted an offence under the law in force in the country or territory in question) shall be in Form 27.5 and may be served on the prosecutor by any of the methods of service mentioned in rule 2.3.

(2) Any such notice shall be served not later than 21 days before the trial diet; and when he serves such a notice the accused shall serve a copy of it on any co-accused or on the solicitor of any co-accused.".

(4) In the Appendix-�

(a)after Form 20.3 insert-�

(i)as Form 20.3A-A the form which is in Schedule 1; and

(ii)as Form 20.3A-B the form which is in Schedule 2; and

(b)after Form 27.4(6) insert as Form 27.5 the form which is in Schedule 3, to this Act of Adjournal

Paragraph 2(4)(a)(i)

SCHEDULE 1

Rule 20.3A(1)

FORM 20.3A-AForm of a certificate in terms of section 5(2) of Sex Offenders Act 1997 of Conviction or of Finding

Paragraph 2(4)(a)(ii)

SCHEDULE 2

Rule 20.3A(2)

FORM 20.3A-BForm of notice of Requirement under section 2 of Sex Offenders Act 1997 to notify police of conviction or of findingNOTICE OF REQUIREMENT TO NOTIFY POLICE

Paragraph 2(4)(b)

SCHEDULE 3

FORM 27.5Form of notice under section 16B(4) of the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995

Explanatory Note

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

This Act of Adjournal amends the Criminal Procedure Rules in order to provide firstly, a form of certificate for the purposes of Part I of the Sex Offenders Act 1997 and a form of notice (to be given to the accused with, or in advance of his being given, a copy of that certificate) as to the requirements of section 2 of that Act; and secondly a form of notice to be served on the prosecutor by a person accused of a sexual offence if that person disputes that an act done by him in a country or territory outside the United Kingdom constituted an offence under the law in force in that country or territory.