§ Mr. McFallTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration is being given to methods of making the appointment of judges more open and democratic; and if he will make a statement.
§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton[holding answer 9 December 1993]: The procedures adopted for making judicial appointments are kept under constant review. These procedures are designed to identify in respect of each vacancy the best-fitted candidate. They were recently extended, on a trial basis, by inviting applications for two current vacancies on the shrieval bench through an intimation in the Scots Law Times.