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Lord Hamilton

The Right Hon Lord Hamilton (Arthur Campbell Hamilton)

The Rt Hon Lord Hamilton has been appointed Scotland's new Lord President by HM the Queen, replacing the Rt Hon The Lord Cullen of Whitekirk who retires later this week after 19 years of service as a judge.

First Minister Jack McConnell, who nominated Lord Hamilton after taking account of the advice provided by a special panel of judicial and lay experts, said Lord Hamilton was an outstanding individual who would lead Scotland's judiciary with independence and integrity, and with a clear vision for the continued modernisation of Scotland's Supreme Courts.

Mr McConnell said:

"I warmly welcome the appointment today of The Rt Hon Lord Hamilton as Scotland's new Lord President. He is an individual of substance and integrity and will lead Scotland's judiciary with independence and distinction.

"This is a time of great change and reform in our courts - changes that are inspiring renewed confidence in our legal system. I am sure that Lord Hamilton will build on the legacy left by Lord Cullen in this regard and play a significant and influential role in the continued modernisation of our court system.

"Lord Hamilton has also been appointed through the most open and transparent procedure ever for choosing a new Lord President. That is a welcome development, and one that fits Scottish Ministers' desire for public appointments at all levels to be open to every suitably qualified candidate."


Biography of Lord Hamilton

Arthur Campbell Hamilton (63) was born in Glasgow and attended Glasgow High School. He studied at Glasgow, Oxford (BA) and Edinburgh (LLB) Universities, completing his studies in 1967. He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1968 and became QC in 1982. He was an Advocate Depute (1982-85), Chairman of the Medical Appeals Tribunals (1988-92) and President of the Pensions Appeal Tribunal (Scotland) (1992-95). Over several months in 1992-93, during the indisposition of the Sheriff Principal of Tayside, Central and Fife, he acted as a temporary Sheriff Principal in that sheriffdom. From 1988-95 he was a Judge of Appeal of the Courts of Appeal of Jersey and Guernsey.

In 1995 he was appointed as a Senator of the College of Justice. Between 1997-2000 he was a full-time commercial judge dedicated to commercial business and responsible for oversight of that aspect of Court of Session business. In January 2002 he was appointed as a judge of the Inner House where he sat principally on appellate business.

The Lord President is the head of the Court of Session, and as Lord Justice General, head of the High Court of Justiciary. He routinely presides in these courts dealing mainly with appeals. In addition to his judicial duties, the Lord President has general supervision over all the business of the Court of Session and the High Court, and is responsible for the policy governing these courts and the judges, and for the rules of court procedure.

He makes appointments to certain tribunals sitting in Scotland, and, as Lord Justice General, recommends persons on whom the rank of Queen's Counsel might be conferred. As the most senior judge in Scotland, the Lord President is routinely consulted on a wide range of matters concerning the law and the legal system, and he deals with communications and consultations with the heads of foreign and Commonwealth judiciaries.

The Prime Minister makes a recommendation to the Queen on the position of Lord President but he may not recommend any person who has not been nominated to him by the First Minister.

To bring added openness and transparency to the process, a four person panel was appointed to consider expressions of interest from suitably qualified people for the post of Lord President. The panel comprised two senior judicial figures and two lay professionals drawn from the Judicial Appointments Board. They were:

The Rt Hon Lord Hope of Craighead
Sir David Edward QC
Sir Neil McIntosh (who chaired the panel)
Mrs Barbara Duffner


Personal Note

I first appeared before Lord Hamilton in 1995, then as now I have always found him a most attentive and open minded judge. I wish him well on his new appointment to which he brings great acumen.

 As an aside I thank God that the good panel saw fit not to make Lady Smith the first Lady President.

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