The Scottish Government has announced the appointment of the Rt Hon Lord Carloway QC as Lord Justice Clerk, with immediate effect, replacing the Rt Hon Lord Gill who was recently appointed as the new Lord President.
The Lord Justice Clerk is the second most senior judge in Scotland and has a prominent role in the Criminal Appeals system. The Lord Justice Clerk is one of the Great Offices of State in Scotland, is a Commissioner for the Honours of Scotland, and Senior Commissioner of the Queen Victoria School in Dunblane. The Lord Justice Clerk also holds the office of President of the Second Division of the Inner House of the Court of Session.
Lord Carloway was nominated by the First Minister taking account of recommendations made by a selection panel constituted under the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008. The panel was chaired by Sir Muir Russell (Chair of the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland) and also comprised the Rt Hon Lord Gill (the Lord President), the Hon Lady Dorrian (senator of the Court of Session) and Elspeth Macarthur (a lay member of the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland).
Lord Carloway was appointed a Judge in February 2000 and to the Second Division of the Inner House in August 2008. He is a graduate of Edinburgh University (LLB Hons) and was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1977. He served as an Advocate Depute from 1986 to 1989 and was appointed Queen’s Council in 1990.
He is an assistant editor of ‘Green’s Litigation Styles’ and contributed the chapters on ‘Court of Session Practice’ to the Stair Memorial Encyclopaedia and ‘Expenses’ in Court of Session Practice. Lord Carloway was also the joint editor of ‘Parliament House Portraits: the Art Collection of the Faculty of Advocates’ and is a former president of the Scottish Arts Club.
In 2010 Lord Carloway led a review of the law and practice following the Supreme Court's decision in the case of Cadder v HM Advocate. His report into criminal law and practice was published in November 2011.