Lord Pentland will take over from the retiring Lord Carloway on Monday, February 3 having served as one of Scotland’s Supreme Court judges since 2008.
He has presided over a number of high-profile criminal trials as well as significant civil cases since then and was previously Solicitor General for Scotland and chair of the Scottish Law commission.
His appointment by the King comes after he was nominated for the role by the First Minister on the advice of an expert selection panel.
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Scotland’s most senior serving judge, Lady Paton, will conduct the ceremony to swear in Lord Pentland next month.
Mr Swinney said: “Lord Pentland’s contribution to the Scottish legal system over several decades has been exemplary, so it is a great pleasure to offer my congratulations on his appointment as Lord President. I am confident Scotland’s judiciary will benefit greatly from his abilities and experience.
“The Lord President is one of the Great Offices of State in Scotland, making the holder a significant figure in our public life. Such an important appointment requires careful consideration, so I am grateful for the advice I received from the selection panel before nominating Lord Pentland.
“Finally, I thank Lord Carloway for his outstanding leadership over the past nine years and for his own dedicated career of service to the law in Scotland. I know he will work collaboratively with Lord Pentland to deliver a smooth transition and I wish him well as he prepares to leave office.”
Lord Carloway said: “I very much welcome the appointment of Lord Pentland as the next Lord President. Having presided over a number of high profile criminal and civil cases in recent years, he brings with him the skills and valuable experience required, and I have no doubt the judiciary will thrive under his leadership.
“He is a former solicitor general for Scotland and, more recently, he has been at the forefront of promoting open justice, which included chairing a working group to establish livestreaming of the Inner House. This will be expanded in the near future to the criminal appeal court as part of the innovations to allow courts to become more accessible and transparent.
“I would like to thank the appointment panel for all their work and I anticipate a seamless transition to the new Lord President.”