Scottish Government
 Printable version
|
 E-mail this to a friend
|
Plans for a courts and tribunals service
Scottish Court Service and Scottish Tribunals Service to merge.
Plans to create a joint administration for courts and devolved tribunals have been outlined by the Scottish Government.
Legislation to merge the Scottish Court Service (SCS) and the Scottish Tribunals Service (STS) into the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service will be brought forward early next year, following a consultation which closed in September.
As with the current SCS structure, the new body would be fully independent of Government with a board chaired by the Lord President as head of courts and tribunals judiciary.
It is envisaged that the front-line operational delivery of courts and tribunals business will not be affected as the current specialist staff and venues for tribunals and courts will remain.
Legal Affairs Minister Roseanna Cunningham said:
“The majority of responses to the consultation supported a single body to serve both courts and devolved tribunals in Scotland.
"A joint body will ensure continued independence, with a joint body corporate chaired by the Lord President, while enabling on-going improvement and sharing of best practice.
“It is paramount that the specialism of courts and tribunals continues to be supported by their specialist staff in a merged organisation.
“That’s why we aim to bring forward legislation early in the New Year to bring about this change and ensure a board structure which supports the business of both courts and tribunals.”
Chief Executive of the Scottish Court Service, Eric McQueen, said:
“The Scottish Court Service Board carefully considered the feasibility of a merger with the Scottish Tribunals Service and has approved the proposal.
“It is sensible to create a joint administration based on the current SCS model and we will work with the Scottish Tribunals Service to deliver this new organisation, recognising the unique requirements of courts and tribunals and taking account of the needs of their individual users. “
Chief Executive of the Scottish Tribunals Service, Martin McKenna, said:
“I see this as a positive step for the Scottish Tribunals Service and those of us who work within it. This puts the administration of tribunals on the same independent statutory footing as courts whilst protecting the unique nature of tribunals for the people that use them.”
Background:
The Justice Strategy for Scotland sets out the vision of a justice system in Scotland that is fit for the 21st century. As part of this programme we are transforming the civil and administrative justice systems and this includes a tribunals reform project to ensure we have the best structures in place for people who use tribunals.
