The Council has produced new rules as a consequence of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015. The rules relating to TEPOs will come into force on 30 June 2017 and the rules relating to TEROs will come into force on 31 October 2017.

This Act of Sederunt (Summary Application Rules 1999 Amendment) (Trafficking and Exploitation Orders) 2017) amends the current Summary Applications, Statutory Applications and Appeals etc. Rules 1999 in consequence of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 (‘the 2015 Act’). The rules relating to TEPOs in the Act of Sederunt will come into force on 30 June 2017 and the rules relating to TEROs will come into force on 31 October 2017.

This Act of Sederunt amends the Sheriff Court Bankruptcy Rules 2016, the Rules of the Court of Session 1994, the Judicial Factors Rules 1992 and the Sheriff Court Company Insolvency Rules 1986 to replace references to Regulation (EC) 1346/2000 of 29 May 2000 on insolvency proceedings. It comes into force on 26 June 2017.

The Act of Sederunt (Rules of the Court of Session 1994 and Ordinary Cause Rules 1993 Amendment) (Competition Proceedings) 2017 amends various court rules in consequence of recent amendments to the Competition Act 1998 made by the Claims in respect of Loss or Damage arising from Competition Infringements (Competition Act 1998 and Other Enactments (Amendment)) Regulations 2017. It came into force on 26 May 2017.

The Council has now published its fourth Annual Report outlining its achievements, accounts and a summary of the rules prepared during the year.

This Act of Sederunt amends chapter 30 (withdrawal of agents) of the Rules of the Court of Session (“Rules”) to place additional requirements on agents who withdraw from acting and to allow the Court, on its own initiative, to ordain the party whose agent has withdrawn from acting to intimate whether they intend to proceed. It comes into force on 17 July 2017.

New Rules place additional requirements on agents who withdraw from acting for a party and allows the Court to call on the party to inform it of whether they intend to go ahead with their case. They come into force on 17 July.

Act of Sederunt (Sheriff Court Rules Amendment) (European Small Claims Procedure and European Order for Payment Procedure) 2017, will come into force on 14 July 2017.

This Act of Sederunt (Rules of the Court of Session, Sheriff Appeal Court Rules and Sheriff Court Rules Amendment) (Lay Representation) 2017) amends the current Court of Session, Sheriff Appeal Court, Ordinary Cause. Summary Cause and Summary Application Rules. It comes into force on 3 July 2017.

The Council has produced new rules which will come into force next month amending the scope of a lay representative's power in the Scottish courts.