Lord Weir becomes Scotland's latest judge

The latest senator to join the Court of Session and High Court bench has been sworn in, at a ceremony reflecting the present unusual times.

Robert Weir QC took the judicial title of Lord Weir before a bench of only two judges in Parliament House, rather than the usual 14. Social distancing was observed.

Lord Carloway, the Lord President, sitting with Lady Dorrian, the Lord Justice Clerk, said: “It is a great pleasure for me to welcome you to the Court of Session bench in these difficult times. It is particularly important that the judges who are appointed have a breadth of both experience and skill. You undoubtedly fit into that category.

“Your 25 years’ experience across the spectrum of legal practice will stand you in good stead as you embark on another aspect of what has already been a distinguished legal career. We wish you well in the future.”

Lord Weir, a graduate of Durham and Dundee universities, was admitted as a member of Faculty in 1995 and took silk in 2010. In 2015, he became a floating sheriff, based in South Strathclyde, before being appointed as a resident sheriff in Edinburgh in 2018, where he sat as one of the specialist sheriffs in the All Scotland Personal Injury Court. He has also served as a temporary High Court judge.