
2025 No. 379 (C. 29)
Children And Young Persons
The Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024 (Commencement No. 3) Regulations 2025
Made 27th November 2025
Laid before the Scottish Parliament 2nd December 2025
Coming into force 15th December 2025
The Scottish Ministers make the following Regulations in exercise of the power conferred by section 38(3) of the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024.
Citation, commencement and interpretation
1 

(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024 (Commencement No. 3) Regulations 2025 and come into force on 15 December 2025.
(2) In these Regulations—
(a) “the Act” means the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024,
(b) “the 1995 Act” means the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995.
Appointed day
2 

(1) 15 December 2025 is the appointed day for the coming into force of section 9 of the Act (support for victims in children’s hearings).
(2) 30 March 2026 is the appointed day for the coming into force of the following provisions of the Act—
(a) section 1 (age of referral to children’s hearing), for the purpose of its application to sections 50, 70B, 142 and 142A of the 1995 Act, as amended or, as the case may be, inserted by section 16 of the Act,
(b) section 12 (meaning of “child”), for the purpose of its application to sections 50, 70B, 142 and 142A of the 1995 Act, as amended or, as the case may be, inserted by section 16 of the Act,
(c) section 15 (custody of children before commencement of proceedings),
(d) section 16 (steps to safeguard welfare and safety of children in criminal proceedings).
NATALIE DON-INNES
Authorised to sign by the Scottish Ministers
St Andrew’s House,
Edinburgh
27th November 2025