Scottish Statutory Instrument
Encyclopedia
A Scottish Statutory Instrument (SSI) is a form of secondary legislation in Scotland
which is made under Scots law
by Scottish Ministers and other Scottish authorities such as the Court of Session
, through Acts of Sederunt
, or the High Court of Justiciary
, through Acts of Adjournal. SSIs were created by the Scotland Act 1998
and are used to exercise devolved powers.
Originally secondary legislation on Scottish matters was made in the UK Statutory Instrument series and the fact that the legislation applied to Scotland
was denoted by a subseries of the UK series. When devolution occurred most of these functions were transferred to Scottish institutions and the SSI series was created. However there are still some matters which impact on Scotland that are reserved matters
within the meaning of the Scotland Act; those powers are exercised by the UK ministers through the UK SI series.
Before devolution there were typically around 200 SIs a year in the Scotland subseries in the main UK series and now there are between 10 and 20 a year. There are typically around 500 or 600 SSIs made in a year.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
which is made under Scots law
Scots law
Scots law is the legal system of Scotland. It is considered a hybrid or mixed legal system as it traces its roots to a number of different historical sources. With English law and Northern Irish law it forms the legal system of the United Kingdom; it shares with the two other systems some...
by Scottish Ministers and other Scottish authorities such as the Court of Session
Court of Session
The Court of Session is the supreme civil court of Scotland, and constitutes part of the College of Justice. It sits in Parliament House in Edinburgh and is both a court of first instance and a court of appeal....
, through Acts of Sederunt
Act of Sederunt
Act of Sederunt in Scots law, is an ordinance for regulating the forms of judicial procedure before the Court of Session , Sheriff Courts in civil session, and for setting fees for Messengers-at-arms and Sheriff officers...
, or the High Court of Justiciary
High Court of Justiciary
The High Court of Justiciary is the supreme criminal court of Scotland.The High Court is both a court of first instance and a court of appeal. As a court of first instance, the High Court sits mainly in Parliament House, or in the former Sheriff Court building, in Edinburgh, but also sits from time...
, through Acts of Adjournal. SSIs were created by the Scotland Act 1998
Scotland Act 1998
The Scotland Act 1998 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is the Act which established the devolved Scottish Parliament.The Act will be amended by the Scotland Bill 2011, if and when it receives royal assent.-History:...
and are used to exercise devolved powers.
Originally secondary legislation on Scottish matters was made in the UK Statutory Instrument series and the fact that the legislation applied to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
was denoted by a subseries of the UK series. When devolution occurred most of these functions were transferred to Scottish institutions and the SSI series was created. However there are still some matters which impact on Scotland that are reserved matters
Reserved matters
In the United Kingdom reserved matters and excepted matters are the areas of government policy where Parliament had kept the power to make laws in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales....
within the meaning of the Scotland Act; those powers are exercised by the UK ministers through the UK SI series.
Before devolution there were typically around 200 SIs a year in the Scotland subseries in the main UK series and now there are between 10 and 20 a year. There are typically around 500 or 600 SSIs made in a year.