Whether only having sheriffs on the bench will enhance the link between the lay bench and the local community.

We are not taking forward proposals that will lead to there only being Sheriffs on the bench. On 22 March we published Smarter Justice, Safer Communities: Summary Justice Reform – Next Steps. This sets out our intention to invest in the recruitment, training and appraisal of lay justices, rather than moving to an entirely professional judiciary. It can be accessed from the Summary Justice Reform website at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/JD/CP/00019008/Homepage.aspx.
Copies are also available in the Parliament’s reference centre (Bib. number 35821).
The measures announced in this publication are intended to help to improve the overall quality of lay justice, and to make the lay bench more representative of the communities it serves. They will therefore enhance the link between the lay bench and the local communities it serves.