The double jeopardy principle that no person should be tried twice for the same offence was abolished last year in Scotland, after more than 800 years.
It followed extensive consultation with the legal profession, victims of crime and their families.
Five criteria limit the cases that qualify for a second prosecution and include the emergence of new evidence and allegations that the accused made a later confession of committing the crime.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill described the change as a "victory for common sense".
The move followed similar steps in England, where double jeopardy for murder cases was dropped in 2003, with the provisions coming into force two years later.
This followed the Macpherson report into the 1993 Stephen Lawrence murder, which called for accused to be tried again if "fresh and viable" evidence emerged.
Gary Dobson and David Norris were found guilty by an Old Bailey jury after a trial based on forensic evidence.
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