John MacKinnon, president of the Law Society Scotland, has announced that he has relinquished the post in a move expected to be effective immediately.
Mr MacKinnon made his announcement last night, explaining that the pressures of the high profile job combined with his role as a partner in a Fraserborough law firm were beyond his capacity.
Richard Henderson, currently vice-president of the society, has taken on the mantle with immediate effect, while the council is set to elect a replacement to his former role as soon as possible.
The presidential role is one of a figurehead, the Scotsman explains, representing the interests of some 10,000 legal practitioners in Scotland.
Issues which the society has addressed during his premiership include whether to allow major retailers to provide basic legal services and the creation of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, intended to increase confidence among the public in the complaints handling process.