The flagship Glasgow Tribunals Centre has opened, giving Scotland state-of-the-art facilities on the banks of the River Clyde.
The building is based at Atlantic Quay, overlooking the city’s famous river. It provides 34 shared tribunal hearing rooms, nine waiting rooms, a range of consultation rooms, and a public café run by the social enterprise Spoon. There is office accommodation for 40 members of the tribunals’ judiciary and, when fully occupied, it will provide accommodation for around 300 SCTS and HMCTS staff.
In creating the centre, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) collaborated with HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS).
Sir Ernest Ryder, Senior President of Tribunals, said: ‘The Glasgow Tribunal Centre is not only a significant exercise in co-operation and joint working between our jurisdictions, it is also a building of the highest quality that embodies an innovative vision for the future.
‘The administration of justice for tribunal users in Scotland will be greatly enhanced as a consequence.’
Lady Smith, President of Scottish Tribunals, said: ‘This new centre represents another significant development in the ongoing work to move tribunals in Scotland into a modern, independent environment, attuned to the needs of all involved whether from the perspective of user, administration or tribunals judiciary.
‘I am particularly pleased that it has been possible to co-locate tribunals whose leadership and administration currently derives from separate systems and look forward to exploring ways of working that enable us to learn from and support each other.’
