NEWS

Lady Dorrian announced last year she would be stepping down as Lord Justice Clerk after nearly 9 years and almost 20 years on the bench.

Lord Beckett has presided over some of Scotland’s most high profile criminal cases in recent years. He was appointed a temporary judge in 2008 and then a judge of the Supreme Courts in 2016. He was elevated to the Inner House of the Court of Session in July 2023.

Lord Beckett served on Lady Dorrian’s review on improving the Management of Sexual Offence Cases and is a former Chair of the Judicial Institute.

He has been at the forefront of training the judiciary in trauma informed practice.  He was involved in developing written directions for juries and the use of plain language in suggested jury directions. He actively promoted the development of Evidence on Commission, chairing a cross-sector problem-solving user group and providing training and guidance. He co-authored a Bench Book on case management in the High Court to support judges and guide the professions.

The Lord President Lord Carloway said: “Lord Beckett is a very experienced judge who has presided over some of the highest profile trials in recent times. He has been a member of the judiciary, for over 17 years, first as a Sheriff then as a High Court Judge. He was appointed to the Inner House of the Court of Session in 2023. His extensive knowledge of criminal cases, together with his work on Evidence on Commission and on case management in the High Court makes him an excellent appointment as Lord Justice Clerk. I wish him well in this extremely important office.

The Lord Justice Clerk Lady Dorrian said: “It has been a huge privilege to be Lord Justice Clerk and I am pleased to be handing over to Lord Beckett. He is passionate about improving the experience of complainers and witnesses in court. He was part of the working group which I chaired on the management of sexual offence cases which will stand him in good stead for the reforms which will be coming in over the next few years. His experience will also be valuable as he takes over as Chair of the Scottish Sentencing Council. As a former chair of the Judicial Institute and someone who has been leading the way on trauma-informed training for the judiciary, he is ideally suited for this role.”

Lord Beckett is a graduate of the University of Edinburgh and was admitted as a solicitor in 1986, working in private practice before being admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1993.

He was appointed an advocate depute in 2003 and became a Queen's Counsel in 2005. He served as Principal Advocate Depute and then Solicitor General for Scotland in 2006.

He became a sheriff in 2008 and was appointed as an appeal sheriff on the establishment of the Sheriff Appeal Court in 2015.