Lord president announces timetable for courts reform act

The lord president set out in his speech the timetable for the commencement of provisions of the Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014; his intention to appoint a president of the new Sheriff Appeal Court and announced the publication of the report on the televising of proceedings in court.

He described the legislation as “the single most important piece of legislation in the field of justice for over a century,” which, in his view, will “safeguard the integrity of Scots law by creating an efficient court structure.

He added: “Every case will be heard by the appropriate court and the system will be accessible and cost effective for the litigant.”

The reforms set out in the 2014 act include an increase to the privative limit of the sheriff court, the creation of new judicial offices of summary sheriff and appeal sheriff, the creation of a Sheriff Appeal Court, and the establishment of a specialist Personal Injury Court.

In response to the announcement by Lord Gill, James Wolffe, QC, dean of the Faculty of Advocates (pictured right), said: “I welcome the lord president’s vision of a civil court system responsive to the needs of litigants which harnesses technology to serve the ends of justice. In making that vision a reality, the legal profession – both advocates and solicitors – will have a key role to play.

“It is now time to put controversy behind us and to get on with the job of making justice work for all the people of Scotland.

“The civil justice system matters. An efficient and effective court system, along with a skilled and independent legal profession, underpins and guarantees a just and economically successful society.

“The lord president’s announcement that he intends to carry out a feasibility study on the creation of an Energy and Natural Resources Court in the Court of Session – a proposal which I support - should send a powerful signal that the Scottish courts, along with Scotland’s highly skilled legal profession, mean business.”