Citation and commencement, etc.

1.-(1) This Act of Sederunt may be cited as the Act of Sederunt (Rules of the Court of Session 1994 Amendment) (Vexatious Actions) 2017.

(2) It comes into force on 1st June 2017.

(3) A certified copy is to be inserted in the Books of Sederunt.

Amendment of the Rules of the Court of Session 1994

2.-(1) The Rules of the Court of Session 1994(3) are amended in accordance with this paragraph.

(2) After rule 4.2 (signature of documents) insert-

"Applications for leave under section 1 of the Vexatious Actions (Scotland) Act 1898

4.2ZA.-(1) This rule applies where a person ("the applicant") who is the subject of an order under section 1 (power of Court of Session to prohibit institution of action without leave) of the Vexatious Actions (Scotland) Act 1898(4) seeks leave under that section to institute legal proceedings.

(2) The applicant must apply for leave by letter addressed to the Deputy Principal Clerk.

(3) The letter must-

(a)state the full name and address of the applicant;

(b)be accompanied by a copy of the document by which it is proposed to institute legal proceedings;

(c)set out briefly why the applicant considers that leave should be granted;

(d)set out details of any previous application for leave which relates to any extent to the same matter (including, in particular, the outcome of such applications).

(4) The Deputy Principal Clerk must-

(a)in a case where the applicant has previously submitted an application for leave in relation to the same matter and that application has been refused, reject the application and notify the applicant accordingly;

(b)otherwise, place the application before a Lord Ordinary.

(5) The Lord Ordinary may, without a hearing, make an order granting or refusing the leave sought.

(6) The interlocutor of the Lord Ordinary is to be sent to the applicant by letter at the address given in the application.

(7) An interlocutor of a Lord Ordinary granting leave to institute legal proceedings constitutes permission to proceed without a signature under rule 4.2(5) (signature of documents).".

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Act of Sederunt)

This Act of Sederunt amends the Rules of the Court of Session 1994 to set out the procedure which will apply when a person who is the subject of an order under section 1 (power of Court of Session to prohibit institution of action without leave) of the Vexatious Actions (Scotland) Act 1898 ("1898 Act") seeks leave to institute legal proceedings. The 1898 Act was repealed with effect from 28th November 2016 by paragraph 27 of schedule 5 of the Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014. Article 4 of the Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (Commencement No. 7, Transitional and Saving Provisions) Order 2016 (S.S.I 2016/291) made savings as regards the 1898 Act and provides that orders made under the 1898 Act continue to have effect. The procedure set out in this Act of Sederunt will apply to persons subject to such orders. It is in similar terms to the procedure in Rule 4.2A of the Rules of the Court of Session 1994, which applies to an application for permission to institute civil proceedings by a person who is the subject of an order under section 100 (vexatious litigation orders) of the Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014.