Scottish civil reforms

The Scottish government is consulting on Lord Gill’s recommendation that a Scottish Civil Justice Council be set up to replace the rules councils of the court of session and sheriff court.

Lord Gill’s wide-ranging Scottish Civil Courts Review, completed in 2009, proposed a package of reforms, including compulsory pre-action protocols in personal injury cases, increased use of IT in courts, a new case management model and a simplified procedure for claims under £5,000, and structural reform of the court system, including an increase in specialist sheriffs, an overhaul of judicial review litigation and specialist procedure for multi-party actions.