Law Society welcomes the timetable for Scottish Court Reforms

Responding to today’s speech by the Lord President where he announced a timetable for the reforms to Scotland’s courts, Fiona Robb, secretary to the Law Society of Scotland's Civil Justice Committee, said: “These reforms will have far-reaching and long term significance for the civil court structure in Scotland.

“We agree that effective use of digital technology is essential in a modern court system so it is good to see new technology being embraced by the Lord President. Used responsibly, cameras in court and the use of features like live tweeting will help to demystify the law, allowing the public to gain insight into the process and improve access to justice.

“While we have previously expressed concerns about significantly increasing the jurisdiction limit of the Court of Session and the huge impact that it is likely to have on Scotland’s sheriff courts, we do believe that there will be significant improvements to the running of our courts as a result of these reforms. We're also pleased that the new national specialist personal injury court will have access to the same provision as the Court of Session

“Going forward we must monitor the effect of the reforms to ensure that access to justice continues to improve and make sure that the changes are properly resourced during the period of transition.”

ENDS                                      28 January 2015

Notes to editors

The Law Society's written evidence on the Courts Reform (Scotland) Bill to the Scottish Parliament's Justice Committee can be found on the website: /for-the-public/law-reform-consultations-and-bills/bills-201415/courts-reform-(scotland)-bill/

More information can be found on the Scottish Court Service website: http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/about-the-scottish-court-service/scs-news/2015/01/28/lord-president-sets-out-court-reform-timetable

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Journalists can contact Sarah Sutton on 0131 476 8170 or email sarahsutton@lawscot.org.uk