
1 

(1) This Order may be cited as the Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2014 (Commencement No. 4 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2015 and comes into force on 1st July 2015.
(2) In this Order, “the Act” means the Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2014.
(3) For the purposes of the commencement of sections 10 to 14, 16 to 18 and 20 of the Act, criminal proceedings are to be taken as commenced on the day on which a report of the case has been received by the procurator fiscal.
(4) For the purposes of the commencement of section 22 of the Act—
(a) civil proceedings are to be taken as commenced on the date on which the document initiating the proceedings is served; and
(b) where that document is served on more than one person, the proceedings are to be taken as commenced when the document is served on the first of those persons.
2 

(1) The day appointed for the coming into force of section 4 of the Act (rules: review of decision not to prosecute) is 1st July 2015.
(2) The day appointed for the coming into force of the provisions of the Act specified in column 1 of the table in the Schedule (the subject matter of which is specified in column 2 of that table) is 1st September 2015.
3 
Notwithstanding the coming into force of section 7 of the Act, the obligation in section 7(2) only applies in relation to—
(a) interviews conducted on or after 1st September 2015; and
(b) guidance which has been issued by the Scottish Ministers on or after 1st September 2015.
4 
Sections 10 to 14, 16 to 18 and 20 of the Act come into force only in relation to criminal proceedings commenced on or after 1st September 2015.
5 
Section 22 of the Act comes into force only in relation to civil proceedings commenced on or after 1st September 2015.
MICHAEL MATHESON
A member of the Scottish Government
St Andrew’s House,
Edinburgh
19th May 2015
SCHEDULE
Article 2


Column 1Provisions of the Act Column 2Subject matter
Section 7 Interviews with children: guidance
Section 10 Vulnerable witnesses: main definitions
Section 11 Child and deemed vulnerable witnesses
Section 12 Child and deemed vulnerable witnesses: standard special measures
Section 13 Objections to special measures: child and deemed vulnerable witnesses
Section 14 Child witnesses
Section 15 Reporting of proceedings involving children
Section 16 Other vulnerable witnesses: assessment and application
Section 17 Objections to special measures: other vulnerable witnesses
Section 18 Review of arrangements for vulnerable witnesses
Section 19 Temporary additional special measures
Section 20 Special measures: closed courts
Section 21 Power to prescribe further special measures
Section 22 Vulnerable witnesses: civil proceedings