(43)  Judicial appointments (3)

On Friday 18 September 1998 it was announced that Robert Reed QC had been appointed to the Court of Session bench. At 42 Mr Reed is the youngest appointee to the Scottish bench this century. One of the unsuccessful candidates for the British judgeship at the European Court of Human Rights earlier in 1998, Mr Reed has specialised inter alia in human rights and has also published on the subject of Scottish devolution. It therefore seems reasonable to speculate that his appointment can be linked with the imminent passage into law of both the Scotland Bill and the Human Rights Bill. Mr Reed is a graduate of Edinburgh and Oxford Universities, and he originally trained as a solicitor with Shepherd & Wedderburn. His former devil-master in the Faculty of Advocates is now the Lord President, Lord Rodger of Earlsferry. The Edinburgh Evening News for 22 September announced the news of Mr Reed’s appointment under the informative headline, Beak, 42. Mr Reed was installed as Lord Reed on 24 September 1998. (27 September 1998)