Two quiet but important changes to Scotland’s criminal procedure will land on 21 February 2026. The High Court of Justiciary has approved an Act of Adjournal that tweaks how interim reporting orders work at the moment a jury is picked, and updates the police notice given to people on the sex offenders register to reflect gender recognition changes.

On reporting restrictions, the adjustment is narrow but practical. Under Chapter 56 of the Criminal Procedure Rules, clerks must send copies of interim orders to “interested persons” – typically newsrooms and others on a list held by the Lord Justice General. The new instrument creates a short carve‑out: if an interim order is made after the jury is balloted and only lasts until the oath or affirmation, the immediate send‑out and the requirement to state reasons don’t apply in that window. (legislation.gov.uk)

For anyone covering trials, that window is the fast‑moving bit. Section 88 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 sets out the sequence: plea, balloting, then the swearing of jurors. The carve‑out is aimed at avoiding last‑minute paperwork at the very moment jurors are sworn, while leaving the broader notification system intact. (legislation.gov.uk)

For Northern newsrooms that regularly head over the border to Glasgow, Edinburgh or Dundee, the takeaway is simple: don’t expect a copy of an interim order during empanelling. Check with the clerk at the first break and keep the live blog cautious until you’ve confirmed whether any temporary restriction has lapsed once the jury is sworn.

The second change updates Form 20.3A‑B – the notice explaining what those subject to Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 must tell the police. It now captures two triggers linked to gender recognition: notifying police when an application for a Gender Recognition Certificate is made and still pending, and when a full GRC is issued on or after the relevant date. This follows Scottish regulations made in December 2025 that added gender recognition to the notification regime, and the official form will be refreshed accordingly. (scotcourts.gov.uk)

Part 2 of the 2003 Act remains the backbone: registrants must provide core details, report changes within three days, confirm annually, and – if they have no sole or main UK residence – report weekly. The Home Office guidance is a useful refresher for defence teams and newsroom lawyers checking compliance risks. (gov.uk)

For police and MAPPA partners working across Cumbria, Northumbria and the Borders, the form change should make identity checks around legal gender clearer. Expect earlier conversations when a registrant intends to engage the GRC process, alongside existing practice on name‑change notifications.

All this arrives as courtrooms adapt to bigger reforms. From 1 January 2026 the ‘not proven’ verdict has gone and convictions now require at least ten of fifteen jurors, with the Judicial Institute updating its Jury Manual this month. It means a busier, slightly different rhythm in Scottish trials just as the jury‑stage reporting tweak comes in. (publicsectorexecutive.com)