(333)  SUPREME COURT: GATHERING EVIDENCE

 

The Justice 2 Committee of the Scottish Parliament took evidence about the implications of the Supreme Court proposals for Scotland from the Law Society of Scotland, the Faculty of Advocates and the editor of Scots Law News on 16 March 2004.  Proceedings are recorded at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/justice2/index.htm.  Common themes were the need to respect the integrity of the Scottish legal system, and to separate more clearly the judicial branch from the executive: these objectives to be achieved by increasing the number of Scots law judges in the court, having a greater Scottish say in the appointment of the judges, and separating such appointments and the funding of the court from the DCAff or any other department of government.  With regard to this last point, attention was drawn to the clear separation of powers observed in this regard in the USA and Australia.