Act of Adjournal meaning

In Scottish criminal practice, an Act of Adjournal is the instrument by which the high court of justiciary makes binding rules of criminal court procedure and practice. Using powers given by the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 and related legislation, Acts of Adjournal constitute subordinate legislation, are published as Scottish statutory instruments, and are laid before the Scottish Parliament. Acts of Adjournal regulate the conduct of criminal proceedings in the High Court of Justiciary, sheriff courts and justice of the peace courts (including the Sheriff Appeal Court). They set out the Criminal Procedure Rules, prescribe court forms, govern time limits, appeals, case management, lodging and service (including electronic processes), and other day‑to‑day procedural requirements. Compliance is mandatory and non‑compliance can affect the progress or validity of proceedings. The term is specific to Scotland. There is no “Act of Adjournal” in England and Wales, Northern Ireland or Ireland, where criminal procedure is governed by their own rules (for example, the Criminal Procedure Rules in England and Wales). The civil counterpart in Scotland—governing civil procedure rather than criminal—is an Act of Sederunt.