This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Scottish Legal Aid Board
31/03/2006
Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson today announced the appointment of three new members, two re-appointments and one extension to the Scottish Legal Aid Board.
The three new members are:
Graham Bell QC. Mr Bell has been a member of the Scottish Bar since 1980 and a Queen's Counsel since 1990. He is currently a member of the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission that attracts a daily rate of £230 or an hourly rate of £32.75.
Paul McBride QC. Mr McBride joined the Bar in 1988 and became the youngest Queen's Counsel in the UK in the year 2000 at the age of 35. He is currently Vice Chairman of the Faculty of Advocates criminal bar association and has served as an Advocate Depute. He does not hold any other ministerial public appointments.
Group Captain Graham Watson. Gp Capt Watson retired from the Royal Air Force in 2003 after 31 years service. He is currently a member of Fife NHS Board where he is Chair of the Audit Committee that attracts an annual remuneration of £7,490. He has over 30 years of senior management experience in a wide range of appointments.
These new appointments will be for four years and will run from April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2010.
The two re-appointed members are:
Ellen Morton - Mrs Morton's experience includes thirty years in various teaching posts and managing a business. She is also a part-time member of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal which attracts a daily rate of pound240.
David Nicol - Mr Nicol is a solicitor and partner with Allan McDougall Solicitors, Edinburgh. He has been a legal adviser at a legal clinic run by a voluntary organisation for over 10 years and is a Director of Family Mediation Lothian. He does not hold any other ministerial public appointments.
These re-appointments will run from April 1, 2006 until March 31, 2010
The extended term is:
Margaret Scanlan - Mrs Scanlan has been a consultant with Russells, Gibson and McCaffrey, Solicitors since 1992. An accredited specialist in family law, Mrs Scanlan is a founder member and past Chair of the Family Law Association. She does not hold any other ministerial public appointments.
Mrs Scanlan has completed two four year terms of appointment and has been granted an extension until March 31, 2007.
All the above appointments are part-time and attract a remuneration of pound8,328 for a time commitment of three and a half days per month, except for Mr Nicol and Mrs Scanlan who undertake enhanced duties and receive a remuneration of £10,707.
The Scottish Legal Aid Board is an independent statutory body established under the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986. Its main functions are:
- To assess, and where appropriate, grant legal aid applications
- To scrutinise and settle accounts submitted by solicitors and counsel
- To collect applicants' contributions or awards of expenses to the other side, in the case of civil legal aid
- To provide advice to Scottish Ministers on legal aid matters
The Board has annual expenditure of around £164 million, which includes the Legal Aid Fund and the Board's running costs.
Ministerial public appointments are made in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland.
All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees' political activity (if there is any to be declared) to be made public. Mrs Morton has been an elected local councillor (Liberal Democrat) for Argyll and Bute since 1999. None of the other appointees have been involved in political activity within the last 5 years.