BBC Democracy Live - Scotland's top judge defends court closure proposals 4 June 2013 Last updated at 17:25 Help Scotland's most senior judge, Lord Gill, told MSPs the courts facing closure were "underperforming," on 4 June 2013. The proposals to close 10 sheriff courts and seven justice of the peace courts around the country in a bid to save money were approved by the Scottish government earlier this year. Lord Gill said to keep the present pattern of courts would have made it "impossible in his considered view" to improve the specialisation required in the modern justice system and that the courts suggested for closure were "simply not performing." The Lord President of the Court of Session earlier said the Scottish Court Service had "no choice in the matter" as it had to achieve a reduction in budget of 20% by 2015. He also said a "perfectly good intellectual case could be made for these changes" even if the economic pressures were not there. Campaigners against the closures held a protest outside the Scottish Parliament claim witnesses will be inconvenienced and the remaining courts will be overstretched. The committee then considered the Justice for Megrahi petition and agreed to contact the Scottish government and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.