Edinburgh Law School alumnus appointed as Lord President

Edinburgh Law School would like to congratulate The Right Hon Lord Pentland on his appointment as Scotland’s new Lord President of the Court of Session and Lord Justice General. 

Lord Pentland graduated from Edinburgh Law School with an LLB in 1979. He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1982 and became a Queen’s Counsel in 1995, and served as an Advocate Depute between 1991 and 1994.

Lord Pentland has been one of Scotland’s Supreme Court judges since 2008. He has presided over a number of high-profile criminal trials, as well as significant civil cases, and has been an appeal court judge since 2020. Previously, he was Solicitor General for Scotland, as well as Chair of the Scottish Law Commission.

As Lord President, he will serve as the most senior judge in Scotland, the head of judiciary, and the presiding judge of the College of Justice, the Court of Session, and the High Court of Judiciary. He takes over the role from fellow Edinburgh Law School alumnus, The Right Hon Lord Carloway, who will be retiring as head of Scotland’s judiciary on 3 February 2025.

Edinburgh Law School is pleased to be part of a continuing tradition of its alumni working at the highest levels of the legal profession.