‘Unprecedented’: Lord Hodge requests new hearing in Rangers case

The Supreme Court justice led a panel of three judges who dismissed an appeal made by the businessman David Grier, who had been appointed as an administrator of the club and who had launched a £9 million damages claims against Police Scotland and the lord advocate over his malicious prosecution.

The judge has now requested that a fresh panel of judges be convened to review the Grier appeal. The decision, say legal sources, is “unprecedented”. The court said that there was new information in the case but did not provide any details.

Lord Hodge had said he was not required to recuse himself from the panel. A spokeswoman for the court had previously said that he had “no knowledge that was relevant in the prosecution”.

A spokesman for the Supreme Court said he was not aware of any precedent for justices asking for applications to be reconsidered, adding: “New information has come to light which should have been considered previously.

“Consequently the court, at Lord Hodge’s request, has decided to convene a new panel of judges, who were not involved in the original decision on this case, to consider the application for an appeal afresh.”

Mr Grier said: “We have always seen this as a very important step, as we did not have much confidence in the Scottish judicial system because there has never been a case like this.

“The Supreme Court has the benefit of UK law and commonwealth law and can bring in other jurisdictions.”