The Scottish Civil Justice Council has today published its combined Annual Plan 2025-26 and Annual Work Programme 2026-27. Writing his foreword as Chair, the Lord President, the Rt. Hon. Lord Pentland, noted the five public consultations that had been run in year seeking views on:

• Adopting unit-based charging to regulate the charges made by officers of court.
• Extending the availability of cost protection in environmental cases.
• Modernising the use of the signet.
• The use of online intimation and electronic signatures.
• Extending the scope of the simplified divorce procedures.  

In addition, the Council had proposed three statutory instruments for consideration by the Court of Session during 2025-26. Those instruments provided permanent court procedures to replace a range of temporary measures provided during the pandemic and clarified the approach to be taken to judicial settlements under the Hague Convention 

In addition, the Council has today published its Strategic Plan 2026-2027 which reflects the outcome of the workshop events held with Council members in March and May this year. As this is the first such three-year plan to be published it signals a significant change of direction as the Council looks to focus increasingly on its responsibility for keeping the Scottish civil justice system under review, and exploring the opportunities available to enhance the fairness, accessibility and efficiency of civil justice in Scotland.

Notes to Editors 

1.View the Annual Plan and Annual Work Programme 2026-27 here.

2. View the Strategic Plan 2026-2029 here.