SCOTLAND'S longest serving judge, who led a public inquiry into the Stockline plastics factory blast, has been appointed head of the country's judiciary.
Lord Brian Gill will take on the role of Lord President from next week after the retirement of Lord Hamilton.
The legal official, currently the Lord Justice Clerk, has been formally appointed by the Queen after a nomination by First Minister Alex Salmond.
Mr Salmond said: "His commitment to reform and modernisation is clear and under his leadership I am confident there will be substantial improvements to the justice system."
The Lord President is the presiding judge of Scotland's supreme civil and criminal courts.
The role, which attracts a salary of £214,165, includes ensuring the efficiency of the Scottish Court Service and representing the views of the judiciary to the Scottish Parliament and Scottish ministers.
Mr Salmond nominated Lord Gill on the recommendation of a select panel constituted under the Judiciary and Courts Act.
Lord Colin Boyd, QC, Michael Jones, QC and David Burns, QC were also appointed as senators of the College of Justice and will take up their roles later in the year.
Lord Gill was appointed as a QC in 1981 and then a judge in 1994. In July 2008, he was instructed to lead an inquiry into the explosion at the Stockline Plastics building in Glasgow which took place on May 11, 2004, and left nine people dead.
He also led a review of the country's civil courts system in 2007 which called for sheriff courts to be given powers to deal with more complex cases.
In 2011, he was awarded a Papal Knighthood of the Order of St Gregory the Great.
Austin Lafferty, president of the Law Society of Scotland, said: "Lord Gill has had a highly distinguished legal career and is greatly respected for his ability and his continued efforts to improve and modernise our justice system.
"I congratulate him on his appointment. It is also very pleasing to see fellow members of the Society, solicitor advocates Colin Boyd, QC and Michael Jones, QC, appointed as Senators to the College of Justice.
"Both are extremely able lawyers who will bring a great deal of experience and expertise to their new roles within Scotland's judiciary."
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