THE process of appointing a new Lord President of the Court of Session has begun, following the retirement of Scotland’s longest serving judge, Lord Gill, on 31 May.
The First Minister has established a selection panel which includes senior members of the judiciary, to make recommendations for a new Lord President, the most senior judicial office in Scotland.
The Lord President is responsible for leadership of the entire Scottish judiciary, in addition to chairing the Board of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service.
The office holder is the most senior judge in Scotland, with authority over any court established under Scots law, apart from the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.
The First Minister, who must have regard of those recommendations but is not bound by them, will make her nomination to the Prime Minister, after statutory consultation with the Lord Justice Clerk.
The Prime Minister is responsible for recommending a name for the new Lord President to Her Majesty, but may not recommend anybody who has not been nominated by the First Minister.
