Lord Boyd of Duncansby appointed to Investigatory Powers Tribunal
Court of Session judge Lord Boyd of Duncansby has been appointed as Vice President of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.
The tribunal, which has UK-wide jurisdiction, provides a right of redress for anyone who believes that they have been a victim of unlawful action by a public authority using covert investigative techniques. It is also the appropriate forum to consider complaints about any conduct by or on behalf of the UK Intelligence Community, MI5, SIS and GCHQ, as well as claims alleging the infringement of human rights by those agencies.
Lord Boyd, who served as Solicitor General for Scotland from 1997 to 2000 and Lord Advocate from 2000 to 2006, has been a Senator of the College of Justice for seven years. As Lord Advocate he was responsible for the prosecution of the Lockerbie trial.
Tribunal President Lord Justice Singh, announcing the five-year appointment, described it as a key role. He added: "I very much look forward to working with Lord Boyd to ensure that the tribunal continues to provide an efficient and fair service in this important area of law."
Lord Carloway, the Lord President, welcomed the appointment, saying: "Lord Boyd will bring considerable experience and expertise to the position. During his time in office as Solicitor General for Scotland and then Lord Advocate, he helped to ensure the effective introduction of the European Convention on Human Rights into domestic law in Scotland, and promoted substantial reform of the prosecution service. His work as the first instance civil administrative judge has been invaluable. I have no doubt that he will make a significant contribution to the important work carried out by the tribunal.”
Lord Boyd commented: "This is an area of law which is of growing importance affecting the rights of individuals and the interests of law enforcement and the intelligence services. I am looking forward to the challenge and to working with Lord Justice Singh and the other members of the tribunal.”