NEWS

The Lord President, Lord Carloway, has asked the Judicial Institute to organise a conference, to be held virtually, to provide a forum for a discussion amongst interested parties about how Court of Session and sheriff court civil business might be conducted once the pandemic is over and once courts do not require to operate amidst physical distancing restrictions.

COVID 19 has forced significant changes on the justice system. A number of those changes have involved an increasing use of virtual technology, both video and telephone. Within a remarkably short time scale, SCTS has equipped a number of courts with the ability to conduct virtual hearings. Judges and practitioners have by and large engaged with these innovations.

Some of the new ways of working have, it may be thought, proved to be effective and efficient. The conference will provide an opportunity for those attending to exchange their experiences and evaluations of virtual and digital processes and to identify which would be worth retaining once the pandemic is controlled.

The conference is an all-day event scheduled for 10 May.

There will be presentations by Scottish judicial office holders, members of Faculty and solicitors.

There will also be contributions from Professor Richard Susskind OBE, who, amongst other roles, has been IT Adviser to the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales since 1998, and The Right Honourable Lord Justice Flaux, who was appointed Chancellor of the High Court in February this year.

The Lord President is interested in hearing views from all relevant parties, including the media and members of the public, and general attendance is welcomed on the day.

More details of the arrangements for the conference will be issued shortly, but in the meantime those interested in attending may wish to note the date.

After the conference, a report will be issued on the key issues which were addressed. 

23 February 2021