SCOTLAND's most senior judge has announced his retirement sparking speculation that he may be replaced by a woman for the first time.

 

The Lord President, Lord Gill, will step down at the end of the month after a legal career spanning nearly half a century.

Plain Brian Gill outside court, the 73-year-old has led the country's judges since 2012 and been on the bench for 21 years.

Frontrunners to take his position include at least two highly respected women who sit on the inner house of the Court of Session, Lady Paton and Lady Smith.

Justice figures have avoided speculating on the record about successors as they celebrated one of the most distinguished legal minds in the country in recent years.

James Wolffe, QC, dean of the Faculty of Advocates, and a potential reforming replacement himself, said: "Lord Gill's career has been one of outstanding service to Scotland's legal system.

"At the bar, he was an incisive advocate in great demand.

"During his career as a judge, he has contributed greatly to the development of the law in judgments characterised by lucid prose and clarity of analysis."

Lord Girl - part of whose post arguably dates back to the middle ages - has overseen important reforms, overhauling both civil and appeal courts.

In an official statement, the Judicial Office for Scotland said: "In the course of a distinguished legal career Lord Gill has presided over some of the most significant changes to the Scottish legal system in over a century, in particular the implementation of the proposals of the Scottish Civil Courts Review, which he led, as well as some major changes to criminal appeal procedure which are in the process of being implemented."

Whoever takes over will do so at a time of huge judicial, social and constitutional change.

But other big names potentially in the running for the post include Lord Gill's No2, the Lord Justice Clerk, Lord Carloway, who will step up to the top job while a replacement is sought.

Lord Carloway, real name Colin Sutherland, has recently criticised what he sees as the "too remote" UK Supreme Court.

Some legal "nationalists" in the judiciary - many of whom are political unionists - resent what they see as moves to Anglicise Scots Law, such as the SNP's now shelved proposals to abolish corroboration.

Lord Carloway, however, isn't automatically the frontrunner for Lord Gill's job. Lord Gill, after all, was himself overlooked at Lord President when he was No 2, having to watch Lord Hamilton take the job before he did.

Some legal insiders have talked up the prospects of Scotland's two judges on the UK Supreme Court, Lord Robert Reed and Lord Patrick Hodge. It isn't clear if either wish to come home - of if they feel they can have more impact on Scots Law from London, despite Lord Carloway's chagrin.

Lord Gill formally retires on May 31. The First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, will appoint a panel to find a replacement for him.

There has never been a woman at the helm of Scotland's courts. The name of the post "Lord" President cannot be changed if a woman was to hold it. This was also the case when the Lord Advocate position was held by Elish Angiolini.

The first female judge, Lady Cosgrove, was appointed as late as 1996.

Lord Gill's CV

* Lord Gill was appointed Lord President and Lord Justice General in June 2012 having held the position of Lord Justice Clerk and President of the Second Division of the Inner House from November 2001

* He was appointed a Judge in 1994. Lord Gill is chairman of the Lands Valuation Appeal Court and was chairman of the Scottish Law Commission from 1996 to 2001.

* He is a graduate of the universities of Glasgow (MA, LLB) and Edinburgh (PhD), and has been awarded the honorary degree of LLD by the universities of Glasgow (1998), Strathclyde (2003), St Andrews (2006), Edinburgh (2007) and Abertay (2008).

* He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and a fellow of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

* Lord Gill lectured in the Faculty of Law of Edinburgh University before being admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1967.

* He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1981. He is a member of the English Bar (Lincoln's Inn, 1991; Bencher 2002).

* He was an advocate depute 1977-1979; Standing Junior Counsel to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (1974-1977), the Home Office (1979-1981) and the Scottish Education Department (1979-1981); and Deputy Chairman of the Copyright Tribunal (1989-1994). He was Keeper of the Advocates Library 1987-1994.

He is the author of The Law of Agricultural Holdings in Scotland (3rd ed, 1997) and founder and general editor of the Scottish Planning Encyclopaedia.

In 2008, he was appointed by the UK and Scottish governments to chair the public inquiry into the fatal explosion in 2004 at the ICL factory in Glasgow.

Lord Gill was chairman of the Scottish Civil Courts Review (2007-2009). He is chairman of the Council of the Royal School of Church Music.