A vacancy has arisen on the Criminal Courts Rules Council under section 304(2)(c)(v) of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995. Under that provision, the Lord Justice General will appoint to the Council a person who appears to him to have knowledge of the procedures and practices of the JP Court.

The Criminal Court Rules Council, which is chaired by the Lord Justice Clerk, was established under section 304 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995. The Council’s functions are to keep under general review the procedures and practices of the courts exercising criminal jurisdiction in Scotland and to consider and comment on any draft Act of Adjournal submitted to it by the High Court.

The Council normally meets three times a year at Parliament House, Edinburgh, although members can attend by video means too. Further information, including minutes of previous meetings, can be found here:

www.scotcourts.gov.uk/rules-and-practice/rules-councils/criminal-courts-rules-council

Any person with knowledge of the procedures and practices of the JP Court who wishes to be considered for appointment is invited to send an email of no more than 300 words to Elaine McHugh, Deputy Legal Secretary to the Lord Justice General (emchugh1@scotcourts.gov.uk), setting out the skills and experience they would bring to the Council. The Lord Justice General will consider the submitted emails and make the appointment.

The closing date for emails to be submitted is 25 September 2026.