Judicial officers’ professional association
Section 63 – Judicial officers’ professional association
199.Section 63 gives the Scottish Ministers power to designate a professional association for judicial officers and to regulate the constitution and procedures of the professional association. Regulations under this section are subject to negative resolution procedure by virtue of section 224(3) and can be made only after consultation with the Commission, representatives of the professional association (or proposed association if one has yet to be designated) and any other body or person the Scottish Ministers consider has an interest. A commission as a judicial officer cannot be granted to anyone who is not a member of the professional association.
Section 64 – Duty of professional association to forward complaints to Commission
200.Section 64 provides that where the professional association receives a complaint about a judicial officer or the services provided by an officer, it must send details of that complaint and any evidence which accompanies it, to the Commission. This duty could activate where, for example, a member of the public upon whom diligence has been effected by a judicial officer complains about the manner in which the officer has carried out his or her functions.
Section 65 – Information from professional association
201.Section 65 provides that the Commission may require the professional association to provide any information to the Commission that it considers necessary to enable it to carry out its regulatory functions under sections 66, 67 and 71.