Chamber Presidents

Each Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland has a Chamber President.  The role of Chamber President is wide and varied and has a key leadership role in developing, representing and promoting the Chamber in which they serve.  Chamber Presidents make a significant contribution to upholding the reputation of the Chamber and the wider First-tier Tribunal, and have a key hand in the development of the Chamber, leading and managing change, working in close co-operation with senior judiciary, including the Lord President and the President of Scottish Tribunals, as well as directors and senior administration of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service. 

Responsibilities

A Chamber President has a range of responsibilities, including:

• Leadership of the Chamber
  • Maintaining judicial office holder competence throughout the Chamber through training, quality assurance and welfare support.
  • Building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders by attending stakeholder events and delivering presentations about the Chamber at conferences, official functions and other events.
  • Working with the President of Scottish Tribunals, Judicial Office and the Scottish Government on matters related to the Chamber and wider tribunal reform. 
  • Maintaining your Chamber's, and wider tribunal, reputation as being independent and accessible, providing an expert service.
• Judicial Casework
  • Chamber Presidents provide specialist training, support and resources to judicial office holders on relevant areas of law.
  • They will also chair first-instance cases, particularly complex cases or those raising novel points of law.
  • Provision of guidance, mentoring, peer-review and tutoring to colleagues on areas of law and procedure.
  • Weighing up conflicting evidence and supporting other judicial office holders to reach independent and well-reasoned decisions. 
  • Drafting of written decisions, including findings in fact, and reasons for decisions. 
• Chamber Management
  • Preside over the work of the Chamber to ensure that business is discharged efficiently. 
  • Ensure suitably qualified and experienced members are allocated to hear cases (including permissions to appeal or review)
  • Ensure hearings are fixed within appropriate timescales and written decisions are produced timeously.

• Working Collegiately
  • Chamber Presidents work with judicial office holders, SCTS staff and senior judiciary
  • Regular engagement with other Chamber Presidents, the President of Scottish Tribunals
  • Agreeing process and procedure and managing the flow of business
  • When sitting at first instance, advising judicial office holders on law and procedure and ensuring that the special expertise of the Chamber is used appropriately and effectively.