The Act Part 1 - Sheriff Courts Sheriffs: civil competence and jurisdiction Section 42 – All-Scotland jurisdiction: further provision
74.This section preserves the option of a sheriff court designated as one with an all-Scotland jurisdiction (for example, the proposed Sheriff Personal Injury Court) being used as a “local court” in relation to the specified types of action (subsections (2) to (4)). Cases that happen to fall within that court’s local jurisdiction can either be raised under normal sheriff court procedure paying standard court fees, or be raised under specialised rules in the specialist court paying the fees specified in a fees order for that court. Subsection (5) has the effect that, where a case before an all-Scotland sheriff court would have fallen within the jurisdiction of that court anyway (even without an order specifying that it has all Scotland jurisdiction), it is up to the litigant to decide whether their case will be heard by the court sitting in exercise of its usual local jurisdiction or its specialist all-Scotland jurisdiction. (It is likely that the court fees in the specialist court will be higher to reflect its specialist nature.) Subsection (6) preserves the sheriff’s power to decline to hear the case on the basis that it would be better dealt with by the specialist all-Scotland court, or the “local” court, as the case may be.