Part III Civil jurisdiction, procedure and appeals

Regulation of procedure in civil proceedings

33 Sheriff Court Rules Council.

F11

There shall be established a body (to be known as the Sheriff Court Rules Council, and hereafter in this section and section 34 called ’’the Council’’) which shall have the functions conferred on it by section 34, and which shall consist of—

a

two sheriffs principal, three sheriffs, one advocate, five solicitors and two whole-time sheriff clerks, all appointed by the Lord President of the Court of Session, after consultation with such persons as appear to him to be appropriate;

b

two persons appointed by the Lord President after consultation with the Secretary of State, being persons appearing to the Lord President to have—

i

a knowledge of the working procedures and practices of the civil courts;

ii

a knowledge of consumer affairs; and

iii

an awareness of the interests of litigants in the civil courts; and

c

one person appointed by the Secretary of State, being a person appearing to the Secretary of State to be qualified for such appointment.

2

The members of the Council shall, so long as they retain the respective qualifications mentioned in subsection (1) above, hold office for three years and be eligible for re-appointment.

3

Any vacancy in the membership of the Council occurring by reason of death, resignation or other cause before the expiry of the period for which the member whose place is so vacated was appointed shall be filled—

a

if the member was appointed by the Lord President of the Court of Session, by the appointment by the Lord President, after F2such consultation as is mentioned in paragraph (a) or, as the case may be, (b) of subsection (1) above, of a person having the same qualifications as that member,

b

if the member was appointed by the Secretary of State, by the appointment by the Secretary of State of another person appearing to the Secretary of State to have qualifications suitable for such appointment,

and a person so appointed to fill a vacancy shall hold office only until the expiry of the said period.

4

The Lord President of the Court of Session shall appoint one of the two sheriffs principal who are members of the Council as chairman thereof, F3. . .

5

The Council shall have power to regulate the summoning of meetings of the Council and the procedure at such meetings, so however that—

a

the Council shall meet within one month of its being established and thereafter at intervals of not more than six months, and shall meet at any time on a requisition in that behalf made by the chairman of the Council or any three members thereof, and

b

at any meeting of the Council six members shall be a quorum.

6

The Rules Council for the sheriff court established under section 35 of the M1Administration of Justice (Scotland) Act 1933 is hereby dissolved, and the said section 35 shall cease to have effect.