Post-mortem Examinations (Defence Time Limit) (Scotland) Bill
The Post-mortem Examinations (Defence Time Limit) (Scotland) Bill seeks to deal with situations where a person has been charged with an offence in connection with causing or contributing to a death such as murder or culpable homicide. It imposes a 14-day time limit on the period during which the defence can instruct its own post-mortem examination (PME), rather than relying on the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) PME. It allows for a process to extend the time limit on making an application to the court.
The Bill was introduced in May 2020 by Gil Paterson MSP.
Read our stage 1 briefing, 25 January 2021