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Scottish Committee of the Council on Tribunals
13/07/2007
The Cabinet Secretary for Justice Kenny MacAskill today announced the appointment of two new members to the Scottish Committee of the Council on Tribunals. Mr Michael Menlowe and Mrs Eileen MacDonald commenced their appointments on 1 July 2007.
The Scottish Committee of the Council on Tribunals supervises the procedural workings of tribunals and inquiries.
Mr Menlowe lives in Edinburgh and most recently worked as Head of the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences in the University of Edinburgh. He is an Associate of the General Medical Council (GMC) where he sits as a lay panellist on Fitness to Practise panels, the disciplinary tribunals of the GMC. Mr Menlowe became a board member of the Scottish Refugee Council in 2006 and, recently, a lay member of the Royal College of Pathologists.
Mrs MacDonald lives in Linlithgow and is a practising solicitor with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency where she is responsible for the practical implementation of water legislation. She has also been the Director of 'The Vine Trust' charity since April 2003.
Both appointments will be for four years to June 30th, 2011. The posts are part-time and attract a remuneration of £ 9,799 for a time commitment of 35 days per annum. Neither appointee holds any other ministerial appointment.
Background:
The Council on Tribunals and its Scottish Committee are independent bodies first established in 1958 and now operating under the Tribunals and Inquiries Act 1992. The Scottish Committee comprises three members of the full Council (appointed jointly by the Lord Chancellor and Scottish Ministers), plus a further four persons appointed solely by Scottish Ministers.
The Scottish Committee of the Council on Tribunals oversees the procedures of those UK-wide tribunals which take place in Scotland as well as some twenty tribunals which operate in Scotland and which are constituted under separate Scottish legislation.
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. Neither of the appointees declared political activity within the last 5 years.