The Scottish Civil Justice Council considered and approved a request made by the Asylum and Immigration User Group (AIUG) in the Court of Session seeking a change to the Rules of the Court of Session (RCS) to permit a solicitor to sign petitions and answers on behalf of Counsel in certain circumstances.

The main content of this Act of Sederunt is to amend rule 4.2 (signature of documents) of the Rules of the Court of Session 1994: to insert new subparagraph (3)(ca), which provides that in certain circumstances agents can sign a petition in Form 58.3 on behalf of and with the authority of the counsel who drafted the petition.  A new paragraph (10) also provides that the new rule in paragraph (3)(ca) also applies to answers to a petition in Form 58.3.