Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995

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Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995 [a]
Coat of arms of the United Kingdom (2022, variant 1).svg
Long title An Act to consolidate for Scotland certain enactments creating offences and relating to criminal law there.
Citation 1995 c. 39
Territorial extent 
[b]
Dates
Royal assent 8 November 1995
Commencement 1 April 1996 [c]
Other legislation
Relates to Forgery of Foreign Bills Act 1803
Status: Amended
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended

The Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995 (c. 39) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed to consolidate certain enactments creating offences and relating to the criminal law of Scotland.

Contents

Part I - Sexual Offences

Offences against children

Sections 5 and 6 were repealed by the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 on 1 December 2010. [2]

Procuring, prostitution, etc.

Section 11 also makes it an offence for a person to keep, manage, or act or assist in the management of a brothel; for a tenant, lessee etc. to knowingly permit premises to be used as a brothel or for habitual prostitution; or for the lessor or landlord (or agent), knowing that premises are used as a brothel, to permit their continued use. The maximum penalty for these offences is 7 years imprisonment, or 12 months on summary conviction.

Homosexual offences

[S]ection 13(4) of the 1995 act defines “a homosexual act” as an act of "sodomy or an act of gross indecency or shameless indecency". There are two problems with that. The first is that “shameless indecency” no longer exists as an offence, and the terms “sodomy” and “gross indecency” are, in effect, repealed[…] The second is that the language is very offensive. It is discriminatory to define any homosexual act between men as sodomy, gross indecency or shameless indecency. Section 13(4) of the 1995 act must be amended, by a simple consequential amendment to the bill, to define “a homosexual act” in straightforward terms as a sexual act between men.

Another problem is that section 13(9) of the 1995 act goes beyond prostitution. It criminalises any soliciting or importuning by “any male person for the purpose of procuring the commission of a homosexual act”. We think that that criminalises a man asking another man to have sex with him, because doing so is regarded as soliciting the procuring of a homosexual act by the other man. The words “for the purposes of prostitution” are missing from section 13(9) of the 1995 act. That is the key point. In all other legislation on prostitution, the words “for the purposes of prostitution” are there to qualify the words “soliciting” or “importuning”. We therefore recommend that the phrase be inserted[…] to ensure that the scope of what remains catches only prostitution[…] and does not accidentally catch things that should be legal for gay men, just as they are legal for everybody else. [4]

Miscellaneous

Sections 14 to 18 contain miscellaneous provisions relating to sexual offences.

This section was repealed by the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 on 1 December 2010.

Part II - Sporting Events: Control of Alcohol etc.

Part II of the act (sections 18 to 23) allow the Scottish Ministers (formerly the Secretary of State for Scotland) to designate sports grounds or sports events, to which certain special controls apply.

Section 19 creates offences of being in possession of alcohol, allowing the possession of alcohol, or being drunk on vehicles going to or from a designated sporting event.

Section 20 creates offences of being in possession of a controlled container, a controlled article or substance or alcohol in a relevant area of a designated sports ground, or of attempting to enter the ground while in possession. Controlled articles/substances include fireworks, distress flares, fog signals and other substances that can be used as a flare. Controlled containers are those that could be used as a missile, e.g. a beer bottle. It is also an offence for a person to be drunk in the relevant area of a designated sports ground, or to attempt to enter the ground while drunk.

Section 21 gives the police powers of entry and search.

These provisions were previously in the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980.

Current designations are under the Sports Grounds and Sporting Events (Designation)(Scotland) Order 2004. The Sports Grounds and Sporting Events (Designation)(Scotland) Amendment Order 2007 de-designated Senior Men's International Rugby Union Matches played at Murrayfield Stadium and Hampden Park, allowing alcohol to be sold at matches during the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

Part III - Detention by Customs Officers

Part III of the act deals with detention and questioning by customs officers. These sections were formerly sections 48 to 50 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1987.

Section 24 gives officers of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs power to detain a person for up to 6 hours to facilitate the carrying out of investigations into a criminal offence and/or whether criminal proceedings should be instigated for that offence. The power applies only to offences relating to "assigned matters" (defined in section 1 of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 which are punishable by imprisonment. Subsections (5) and (8) set out various protections for the rights of the detained person.

Section 25 provides that where a person is detained under section 24, he is entitled to have intimation of his detention and of the place of detention sent to a solicitor and to one other person named by him without delay, and the person is to be informed of this entitlement. Where some delay is necessary in the interest of the investigation or the prevention of crime or the apprehension of offenders, this is to be done with no more delay than is so necessary. Where the detained person is a child (under 16), notification is to be sent to the child's parent, who is entitled to attend.

Section 26 provides further powers in connection with drug smuggling offences, where it is believed that a controlled drug is secreted in a person's body. The section authorises detention for up to 24 hours, the taking of blood and urine samples, intimate searches by a registered medical practitioner. The period of detention can be extended up to 7 days in certain circumstances on application by the procurator fiscal to the sheriff.

Part IV - Investigation of Serious or Complex Fraud

Part IV of the act deals with the investigation of serious or complex fraud. These sections were formerly sections 51 to 54 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1987.

Section 27 empowers the Lord Advocate to make a direction where it appears to the Lord Advocate—

(a) that a suspected offence may involve serious or complex fraud; and
(b) that, for the purpose of investigating the affairs or any aspect of the affairs of any person, there is good reason to do so.

Where a direction has been made, the special investigatory powers in section 28 apply.

The Lord Advocate may also give a direction under this section by virtue of section 15(4) of the Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003 or on a request being made to him by the Attorney-General of the Isle of Man, Jersey or Guernsey acting under corresponding legislation.

Section 28 sets out special powers of investigation which are available when a direction has been made. A person nominated by the Lord Advocate may require the person under investigation, or anyone else who may have relevant information, to answer questions or furnish information or provide documents relevant to the investigation. There is power to obtain a search warrant where documents are not provided or for other special reasons. There are also protections for information subject to legal professional privilege.

Part V - Drug Trafficking

Part V of the act formerly dealt with drug trafficking. It was repealed by the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002

Part VI - Miscellaneous and General

Part VI of the act contains a number of miscellaneous provisions.

(a) pursues a racially aggravated course of conduct which amounts to harassment of a person and—
(i) is intended to amount to harassment of that person; or
(ii) occurs in circumstances where it would appear to a reasonable person that it would amount to harassment of that person; or
(b) acts in a manner which is racially aggravated and which causes, or is intended to cause, a person alarm or distress.
The maximum penalty on conviction on indictment is seven years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

See also

Notes

  1. Section 53(1).
  2. Section 53(3)–(4).
  3. Section 53(2).

Parliamentary proceedings

References

  1. Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009, Schedule 6 and The Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 (Commencement No. 1) and the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 (Commencement No. 4) Order 2010
  2. Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009, Schedule 6 and The Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 (Commencement No. 1) and the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 (Commencement No. 4) Order 2010
  3. Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009, Schedule 6 and The Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 (Commencement No. 1) and the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 (Commencement No. 4) Order 2010
  4. Tim Hopkins (11 November 2008), 1st Report, 2009 (Session 3), Stage 1 Report on the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Bill (PDF), Justice Committee, Scottish Parliament, p. 140, retrieved 24 September 2025