This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Appointment of part-time sheriffs
02/05/2003
The appointment of 32 new part-time sheriffs to serve
the Scottish Courts was announced today.
The Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland were asked
to consider applications from individuals seeking
appointment to a part-time shrieval post and in March this
year submitted its recommendations to the First Minister.
Mr McConnell accepted the recommendations and thirty-two
individuals have now been appointed who will begin work in
the courts during the coming weeks.
Two of those appointed have served as permanent
Sheriffs. Sheriff J Stuart Forbes retired from office in
December last year having been Sheriff at Dunfermline since
1976. He will take up his new appointment immediately.
Sheriff C Scott Mackenzie, currently Sheriff of Kirkwall
and Lerwick has indicated his intention to retire in
September and he will take up office as a part-time sheriff
shortly afterwards.
The office of part-time sheriff was created under the
terms of the Bail, Judicial Appointments etc (Scotland) Act
2000. Individuals appointed to this office are used in the
sheriff courts to provide cover for permanent sheriffs who
may be absent on leave or on judicial training and to
assist in the throughput of business coming before the
courts. The statute limits the number of part-time sheriffs
to 60 and these new appointments take the total to 58.
This is the first time the Judicial Appointments Board
has been involved in making recommendations for the
appointment of part-time sheriffs. Vacancies were
advertised and almost two hundred applications were
received.
After an initial sift of applications, the Board
interviewed a shortlist of candidates before making its
recommendations to the First Minister.
The list of successful candidates contains 2 former
permanent sheriffs, 8 individuals with previous experience
as temporary sheriffs and 22 who have no previous
experience on the Bench. Some of those with previous
experience will start work in the month of May whilst
others will undertake some induction training before they
appear in courts.
Background information on the new appointees:
Michael P Anderson (52) was admitted as a
solicitor in 1975 and as solicitor advocate in 1991. He is
a senior litigation partner with Simpson & Marwick in
Edinburgh,
Ruth A Anderson QC (55) was admitted to
the Faculty of Advocates in 1991 and was appointed as a QC
in 1999.
Paul A Arthurson (38) was admitted to the
Faculty of Advocates in 1991
. He served as a temporary sheriff from
1989 to 1999.
Gillian F Bryson (41) is a partner with
Henderson Boyd Jackson in Glasgow. She was admitted as a
solicitor in 1985.
Petra M Collins (42) was admitted as a
solicitor in 1985 and as an advocate in 1997. She has
served as an Advocate Depute.
Carole Cunninghame (43) is a Senior
Reporter with the Scottish Children's Reporter
Administration. She was admitted as a solicitor in
1983.
Anthony F Deutsch (50) was admitted as a
solicitor in 1978. He has been with Macdonalds of Glasgow
since then first as an apprentice then as a partner.
Gordon Fleetwood (51) is a partner with
Fleetwood & Robb, Inverness. He was admitted as a
solicitor in 1975 and as a solicitor advocate in 1984.
Jamie H C Gilmour (59) is a partner with
Currie Gilmour & Co Edinburgh. He was admitted as a
solicitor in 1972 and served as a temporary sheriff from
1988 to 1999.
Maxwell G Hendry(46) is currently a partner of Barton
& Hendry of Cumbernauld. He was admitted as a solicitor
in 1981.
Thomas G Hughes (48) was admitted as a
solicitor in 1979. He is a partner in the firm of McAuley
McCarthy & Co, Neilston. He is the head tutor and
course co-ordinator in Civil Procedure and Advocacy at the
Glasgow Graduate School of Law.
Raj Jandoo (45) was a temporary sheriff
between December 1998 and November 1999. He was admitted to
the Faculty of Advocates in 1991 and is currently a
part-time chairman for the Employment Tribunals.
Johanna M Johnston (42) was admitted as a
solicitor in 1982 and to the Faculty of Advocates in 1992.
She currently serves as an Advocate Depute for the Crown
Office, Edinburgh and will not take up her appointment as a
part-time sheriff until the beginning of 2004 when her
current appointment comes to an end.
Martin Jones QC (47) was admitted to the
Faculty of Advocates in 1994 and served as Advocate Depute
for three years
Douglas A Kinloch ( 46) was admitted as a
solicitor in 1979 and to the Faculty of Advocates in 1989.
He served as a temporary sheriff from 1989 to 1999 and is
currently a part-time immigration adjudicator.
Margaret I Liddell (46) is a partner with
Munro Liddell in Motherwell. She was admitted as a
solicitor in 1980.
John N McCormick (43) was admitted as a
solicitor in 1984 and is a partner in the firm of McSparran
McCormick in Glasgow. He is also tutor on foundation
courses with the Glasgow Graduate School of Law.
Robert A McCreadie (54) is Standing Junior
Counsel to the Advocate General for Scotland. He was
admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1992.
A Grant McCulloch (51) was admitted as a
solicitor in 1976 and as solicitor advocate in 1992. He is
a past President of the Law Society of Scotland and is
currently Managing Partner with Drummond Miller,
Edinburgh.
Elizabeth T McFarlane (42) was admitted as
a solicitor in 1985. She is currently a partner with Anne
Hall Dick & Co, Glasgow.
D Ian K MacLeod (66) was admitted as a
solicitor in 1960. He was Procurator Fiscal to the Court of
the Lord Lyon from 2000 until 2002.
Frank Pieri (48) has been an immigration
adjudicator since 2000. He was admitted as a solicitor in
1976 and to the Faculty of Advocates in 1994.
Nigel A Ross (40) was admitted as a
solicitor in 1988 and to the Faculty of Advocates in 1991.
He is currently Standing Junior to Department of Trade and
Industry.
Edward G Savage (52) was admitted as a
solicitor in 1975 and is currently a consultant with
Paterson Holms Glasgow. Mr Savage was a temporary sheriff
between 1977 and 1999.
Margaret E Scott QC (43) was admitted as a
solicitor in 1989, to the Faculty of Advocates in 1991 and
appointed QC in 2002
Vincent Smith (49) was admitted as a
solicitor in 1980 and is currently a partner with Lavery
Smith & Co Glasgow. He served as a temporary sheriff
between 1999 and 2000.
William J Taylor QC (58) was admitted to
the Faculty of Advocates in 1971 and appointed as QC in
1986. He served as a temporary sheriff from 1997 to
2000.
Alastair G D Thornton (46) was admitted as
a solicitor in 1981 and is a former Council Member and
President of the Law Society of Scotland. He is currently a
lecturer and tutor with the WS Society, Signet Library
Edinburgh..
Ronald C Watson (51) was admitted as a
solicitor in 1974 and to the Faculty of Advocates in 1987.
He served as a temporary sheriff between 1987 and 1999.
James H Williamson (42) was admitted as a
solicitor in 1983 and is a partner in the firm of Lawson
Coull & Duncan in Dundee. He is also lecturer and
course organiser in Criminal Procedure at Dundee
University.