This Act of Scottish Parliament covers intermediate diets and how they relate to arrest warrants. An intermediate diet is a hearing set by a court, in summary criminal proceedings, for the purpose of ascertaining, so far as is reasonably practicable, whether the case is likely to proceed to trial on the date assigned as a trial diet. If an accused does not appear as required for an intermediate diet, the court may grant a warrant for his or her arrest.
The Act provides that the issue of a warrant following the failure of an accused to appear at an intermediate diet will automatically discharge the trial diet, unless otherwise ordered by the court. The Act is retrospective in effect.