Current status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 17 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make the criminal justice system more transparent.
The Executive is continually looking to improve the effectiveness of the criminal justice system and we seek wide public involvement in this work. Lord Bonomy, for example, placed press advertisements seeking views on his review of the High Court and the committee chaired by Sheriff Principal McInnes that is reviewing summary justice has recently issued a consultation paper seeking views from those working in the criminal justice system and from the wider public. Ministers have announced their intention to establish an independent Judicial Appointments Board whose role will be to make recommendations to the First Minister about the appointment of all new Judges and Sheriffs. The board will have equal numbers of lay and legal members.