Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Bill passed

The Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament at Stage 3 on 25th September 2008.  

In the final debate on the bill, Justice Secretary, Kenny MacAskill, summarised the import of the bill as follows,

“The Government is clear about the need for a strong, independent judiciary. The bill enshrines that independence in statute. It will give the Lord President additional responsibilities for the courts in Scotland and for the judiciary, together with a complementary leadership role in the strategic management of the administrative service on which he and his colleagues will rely. It will place the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland on a statutory footing, which is important, and it will introduce a framework for a structured judicial complaints system.” (col 11271)

We will say a little more about the substantive content of the bill when it receives royal assent.