Society president joins Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland

The Law Society of Scotland President, Alistair Morris, has been appointed as a solicitor member of the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland.

The Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland was created in 2002 to recommend to Scottish Ministers individuals for appointment to judicial offices and bring greater transparency to the judicial selection process.

Mr Morris said: “I am delighted to join the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland.  The board has a very important role to play in Scotland’s justice system in ensuring that the judicial appointment process is transparent, fair and instils confidence among the public. There has been an enormous amount of work done since its creation over a decade ago in developing its policies and providing information and clarity on the appointments process for those considering a judicial career.

“I am very much looking forward to what will be a very interesting and rewarding role, particularly at a time when the reforms recently introduced by Lord Gill are set to transform the way our civil courts operate.”

Lorna Jack, chief executive of the Law Society of Scotland, said: “This is a fantastic appointment for Alistair and for the Judicial Appointments Board. As one of the Law Society’s longest serving members of Council and as our current president, I have seen first-hand his commitment to representing solicitors across the justice sector and among a wide range of stakeholder groups. With his considerable board level expertise and professionalism, he will undoubtedly make a very positive contribution to the work of the board.

“The judicial appointments process is incredibly important and we have seen increasingly numbers of solicitors putting their names forward for judicial office over recent years.  We certainly want to do more to encourage our members to think about these kinds of opportunities as important next steps in their professional careers.”

Alistair Morris joins as a solicitor board member of the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland. The appointment will be for up to four years and may be renewed subject to evidence of effective performance and the requirements set by ongoing work at the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Please contact valeriemcewan@lawscot.org.uk / sarahsutton@lawscot.org.uk