Following an open and competitive recruitment exercise, the Lord President has today appointed Andrew Stewart QC and Kenneth Forrest, Advocate as advocate members of the Council. These appointments fill the vacancies for advocate members created by the appointment of Scottish Civil Justice Council advocate member Sarah Wolffe QC as a Senator of the College of Justice and the resignation from the Council of advocate member James Wolffe QC after his election as Dean of the Faculty of Advocates.
Andrew Stewart QC has been a member of the Faculty of Advocates since 1996 and a QC since 2009. He served as an advocate depute from 2009 until 2013. His practice is primarily in the fields of commercial and public law. He is the editor of Session Cases. Andrew is a former Standing Junior Counsel to the Department of Trade and Industry and a former Clerk of the Faculty of Advocates.
Kenneth Forrest was a solicitor in private practice for over 20 years. He has been a member of the Faculty of Advocates since 2000. He specialises in Immigration and Asylum law and practice. He also sits as a Justice of the Peace in the Sheriffdom of South Strathclyde Dumfries and Galloway.
Advocate members are appointed for a period of 3 years.
The Lord President, the Right Honourable Lord Gill, said:
“I would like to welcome Andrew and Kenneth to the Council and I am confident that the Council will benefit from their knowledge and experience. I would like to express my gratitude to James and Sarah Wolffe for their work with the Council during its formative first months”
Background
The Scottish Civil Justice Council was established on 28 May 2013 under The Scottish Civil Justice Council and Criminal Legal Assistance Act 2013. It is responsible for preparing draft rules of procedure for the civil courts and advising the Lord President on the development of the civil justice system in Scotland. The Scottish Civil Justice Council replaces the Court of Session Rules Council and the Sheriff Court Rules Council.
The creation of a single rules council for Scotland was one of the recommendations of Lord Gill’s Scottish Civil Courts Review. With particular responsibility for implementing the procedural changes to effect the forthcoming Courts Reform (Scotland) Bill, founded on the review recommendations, the SCJC will play a key role in delivering the largest programme of civil courts reform in Scotland in over a century.
The Lord President published a Statement of Appointment Practice in respect of appointments to the Council on 5 March 2013.
For further information please contact Ondine Tennant at scjc@scotcourts.gov.uk / 0131 240 6769.