Scotland’s highest civil court to be first to have regular livestreams

Scotland’s highest civil court will introduce regular livestreams of its cases in a move towards greater transparency.

The inner house of the Court of Session will become the first court in Scotland to have a regular livestreaming service.

While cases have been streamed from the court before, a new project called “Court of Session Live” intends to make it a more common feature.

The inner house is primarily an appeal court which reviews decisions from the outer house and occasionally from sheriff courts, tribunals and other bodies.

It usually consists of three judges but, in special cases, five will sit on the bench.

Inner house judge Lord Pentland is leading the project.

He said: “Justice being dispensed in public is one of the most fundamental principles we have in this country and absolutely central to the running of the justice system.

“It reinforces the independence, integrity and stability of our courts.

PA Wire

“Technology presents us with the opportunity to widen public access and make the courts more visible and accessible.

“We must seize that opportunity and ensure that the principle of open justice continues to be upheld in a world where almost everything can be done online.”

He continued: “The launch of Court of Session Live will help to inform and educate the public about the work of the judiciary and the court, and allow interested parties to view proceedings when they are unable to attend in person.

“It will provide the media with greater access to cases to assist with informed and accurate reporting, and allow academics and students to engage with the court process in a more convenient way.

“This is an exciting initiative for the courts and an important step in ensuring justice is seen to be done in a manner fit for a modern court system.”

A website will list upcoming cases which will be livestreamed.

The first of these will be Lagan Construction Group Limited v Scots Roads Partnership & Ferrovial Construction.

In this case, companies Scot Roads and Ferrovial are seeking to overturn an earlier ruling which concerned payments for works to upgrade motorways.

Follow STV News on WhatsApp

Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country