(100)  Judicial appointments

The Minister of Justice, Jim Wallace, outlined his plans for a Judicial Appointments Board in a speech at Strathclyde Law School on 14 March 2001.  The Board will be independent, contain a balance of lay and legally qualified members and be chaired by “a senior non-legal figure”.  All appointments to the Court of Session and shrieval benches will be advertised.  The Board will advise the First Minister of its preferred candidate together with a short list of other approved candidates in order of preference.  The First Minister will, as required by the Scotland Act 1998, consult the Lord President before making his recommendation to the Queen.  Initially the Board will be set up on an administrative basis but in due course it will be put on a statutory footing.