SCOTLAND'S leading judge is looking to the Government for extra resources to provide speedier and less expensive justice in the Court of Session, Scotland's supreme civil court.

One of the areas in which additional spending will be needed is for information technology to bring civil justice into the computer age.

Lord Hope, the Lord President, made this clear yesterday as he launched the Cullen Report, a review which sets out of 75 separate recommendations.

The report follows criticism that the Court of Session was failing to meet the needs of the public because procedures were out of date and too expensive.

At a news conference at the Court of Session yesterday, Lord Hope said the legal system was of no value unless it was accessible to everyone.

He added: ``The provision of resources is the responsibility of Government. I shall therefore be looking to the Government, through the Secretary of State for Scotland, to provide these resources once we have defined more precisely what we require.

``If the philosophy is to look only for the opportunity to make savings in the provision of resources, there will be little hope of progress.

``That philosophy would offer little incentive for positive change and innovation. What we need to do is invest now in order to obtain the benefits to litigants and to the taxpayer.''

Lord Cullen was appointed by Lord Hope in May last year to consider what steps could be taken to simplify procedures and speed up the disposal of cases, achieve a greater measure of judicial control over litigation, minimise the disruption caused by the last-minute settlement of cases, and ensure the best use of judges' time.

His recommendations include: the simplification of written pleadings, case management hearings, steps to encourage the advanced disclosure of evidence, and judges spending longer periods on civil business without being interrupted by criminal trials.

He suggests that one way to encourage early settlement of cases would be to give the court power to find an advocate or solicitor-advocate personally liable for the expenses of an opposing party.

The court could also decide that the lawyer would not be able to charge fees. This could be done when the conduct of the lawyer was so unreasonable as to amount to an abuse of process.

Lord Cullen stresses the importance of the increased use of computer technology. Lord Hope echoed this yesterday when he talked of an ``enormous untapped reservoir'' of information technology which which could speed up cases.

He added: ``Great stress has been laid recently on the system of criminal justice, for which the provision by Goverment of adequate resources is essential if the courts are to fulfil their responsibilities.

``But it would be a grave error to concentrate on the criminal justice system to the prejudice of the proper administration of justice in the civil courts.

``The rule of law in this country does not relate only to crime and to the conviction and punishment of offenders. It affects all dealings between the citizens of this country, one with the other.

``It affects a wide range of disputes about rights, duties, and obligations which may need to be resolved by the court.

``The legal system of this country is of no value unless it is accessible to all its citizens. Undue expense and delay is as much an impediment to justice in the civil field as lack of resources is to the administration of the criminal law.''

The aim of the review was to minimise undue expense and delay. He said he would look for co-operation from the Government in implementing the Cullen proposals.