§ Mr. McFallTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what proposals exist to initiate a consultative inquiry into the Scottish civil justice system with a similar remit to that of the recent Woolf inquiry in England and Wales; [12086]
(2) if he will make it his policy to instigate a fundamental review of the civil justice system in Scotland. [12087]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe civil justice system in Scotland is kept under constant review through standing groups such as the sheriff court rules council and the Court of Session rules council and takes account of initiatives by ministerial and judicial interests.
The rules of both the Court of Session and sheriff court have recently been reviewed and reforms were introduced into both during 1994. The effects of these changes are being monitored by a research programme and it would be premature to initiate a further fundamental review of the whole system at this time.