SENTENCING AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES IN SCOTLAND
Summary only Offences
The majority of summary-only offences, especially those
in subordinate legislation, do not carry the option of
imprisonment. But for those that do, the usual maximum is 3
months imprisonment. There are a number of examples in
existing legislation of offences attracting one or two
months' imprisonment, but such maxima are now considered to
be outdated, since it would be unrealistic to attempt to
grade offences by seriousness so precisely. Old maxima of
this type should be revised as opportunities arise.