The Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020 is an Act of the

Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...

to make provisions during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. The Act complements and regulates the use of emergency powers given to Scottish Ministers under the

UK Parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative supremac ...

Coronavirus Act 2020 The Coronavirus Act 2020 (c. 7) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that grants the government emergency powers to handle the COVID-19 pandemic. The act allows the government the discretionary power to limit or suspend public ga ...

. The Act makes many provisions to ease regulations in sectors that may struggle to meet their statutory requirements, such as the

NHS The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...

Social Security Scotland Social Security Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: ''Tèarainteachd Shòisealta Alba'') is an executive agency of the Scottish Government with responsibility for social security provision. History The devolved Scottish Parliament was established in 199 ...

and the

Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service , type = , seal = , logo = 250px , logo_caption = , formed = , jurisdiction = Scotland , headquarters = Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh EH11 3XD , employees = 1,374 , budget = £129.3 million (2015-2016) , chief1_name = Lord ...

Provisions

The Act makes a variety of provisions to ensure continuity throughout Scotland during the Coronavirus pandemic. This covers a broad variety of issues within Scotland where it would be impossible for statutory requirements to be met or where regulations have become unworkable, notably in terms of: * Housing provision and evictions *

assessments * Judicial operations * Healthcare regulations * Death certification * Miscellaneous provisions

Time limit and renewal

Part 1 of the Act expires on 30 September 2020, however Scottish Ministers can extend the act twice on a six-monthly basis. This can only be achieved through affirmation of the Scottish Parliament.

Debate

The Act was developed by the Scottish Government on a cross-party basis to ensure maximum support. Concerns were raised at the prospect of removing the requirement of juries within judicial trials. This was accepted by the government and removed from the bill before passage. The Bill was passed unanimously.

Legislative history

The bill was introduced to Parliament on 31 March 2020 as an Emergency Bill, with all three legislative stages completed the following day. The Bill was given Royal Assent and made law on 6 April 2020.

References

Acts of the Scottish Parliament 2020 2020 in Scotland COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland Law associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom {{COVID-19-stub

Provisions

Time limit and renewal

Debate

Legislative history

See also

References