The Scottish government has published a bill to reform the civil court system, which was criticised for being 'slow, inefficient and expensive.' The Courts Reform (Scotland) Bill implements many of the recommendations from Lord Gill's review in 2007.
Key changes include raising the financial threshold for sheriffs hearing cases from £5,000 to £150,000, freeing up the Court of Session for more complex disputes. A new national personal injury sheriff court staffed by specialist sheriffs will also be created to speed up proceedings.
Lord Gill, Scotland's most senior judge, said: 'Delay and cost have been the bane of Scottish justice for decades. These reforms will enable the courts to deliver the quality of justice to which the public is entitled.' Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill added that the bill would make the system 'more accessible, affordable and efficient.'
Consumer groups welcomed the changes. Richard Lloyd of Which? said moving cases under £150,000 to sheriff courts would help consumers seek redress. Colin Borland of the Federation of Small Businesses said it would make it easier for small firms to recover debts.
However, trade unions and some solicitors expressed concerns. Patrick McGuire of Thompsons solicitors warned that the proposals might 'severely limit access to justice for ordinary working people.' The STUC said the loss of automatic right to counsel in civil cases could favour well-funded insurance companies.
