Lord Carloway is currently a member of the Scottish Court Service Board and will continue as a member by virtue of his appointment as Lord Justice Clerk.

He graduated from the University of Edinburgh and was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1977.

He served as an advocate depute and as the Treasurer of the Faculty of Advocates before becoming a judge in 2000.

He is an assistant editor of ‘Green’s Litigation Styles’ and contributed the chapters on ‘Court of Session Practice’ to the Stair Memorial Encyclopaedia and ‘Expenses’ in Court of Session Practice.

A former president of the Scottish Arts Club, he was the joint editor of ‘Parliament House Portraits: the Art Collection of the Faculty of Advocates’.

More recently, he led a review of the law and practice in light of the United Kingdom Supreme Court's decision in the case of Cadder v HM Advocate. His report into criminal law and practice was published in November 2011.

He replaces the Rt Hon Lord Gill who was recently appointed as the new Lord President.