Ministers have bowed to pressure from lawyers over judicial reform, promising statutory protection for judges' independence.

The executive further accepts that Scotland's top judge, who is to take charge of the entire judiciary including sheriffs, should also have some say - so far unspecified - in the running of courts.

The executive has also limited the amount of interference that ministers are allowed to have in the decisions of the judicial appointments board, only getting involved in "procedural matters". But they will retain the power to appoint its members.

That remains a major concern for lawyers, who fear that any such ministerial appointments run the risk of political interference in the choice of those appointed to the bench, and also in strengthened powers to dismiss judges and sheriffs on the grounds of unfitness for office.

Their fears were one of the reasons why the Judiciary (Scotland) Bill was withdrawn from the legislative timetable. A revised version was published yesterday, for the incoming administration to take on after the May elections.

It is part of the raft of justice reforms, including High Court and summary court reforms, with a review announced this week of the civil courts as well.

The executive wants Lord Hamilton, as Lord President of the Court of Session, to take charge of a more streamlined and managed judicial administration, but had planned to keep the Scottish Courts Service in civil service hands, answerable to ministers. Since the original plans were withdrawn last autumn, the executive has moved ground on that, under pressure from Lord Hamilton, who has argued he cannot manage the judiciary while having no formal role in the Courts Service.

The proposals set out yesterday by Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson include the power of a tribunal, chaired by a judge and with at least one lay member, to investigate the case for dismissing another judge or a sheriff. The lay member is intended to increase public confidence in the judicial system. It would be for parliament to vote on the recommendation of the tribunal. That change was opposed by the Sheriffs' Association, which argued for no change in the present system, which sees two senior judges investigating a complaint.

A further change from the proposals published last year is that the plans for a statutory judges' council, to gather the collective view of those on the bench, have been dropped. Instead, Lord Hamilton is setting up a non-statutory council.