258.Section 131 inserts two new paragraphs into schedule 1 of the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008 and enables the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland (JABS) to appoint legal assistants and lay assistants to assist it in carrying out its functions. Paragraph 13A deals with the matters connected with their appointment, notice and qualification. Paragraph 13B enables these assistants to do everything that their equivalent Board member can do, short of actually taking part in recommendation decisions.
259.There is also an amendment to paragraph 16A of schedule 1 of the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008 (inserted by the Tribunals (Scotland) Act 2014) so that a member of the Scottish Tribunals selected to take part in any JABS proceedings on a Tribunals appointment can elect not to take part if a legal or lay assistant is taking part in the proceedings and that assistant is also a member of the Scottish Tribunals.