Lord Carloway was appointed a Judge in February 2000. He was appointed to the Second Division of the Inner House in August 2008. He is a graduate of Edinburgh University (LLB Hons) and was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1977. He served as an Advocate Depute from 1986 to 1989 and was appointed Queen's Council in 1990. From 1994 until his appointment as a Judge he was Treasurer of the Faculty of Advocates.
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.
Lord Carloway was the joint editor of "Parliament House Portraits: the Art Collection of the Faculty of Advocates" and is a former president of the Scottish Arts Club.