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Scottish Legal Aid Board
24/11/2008
The Cabinet Secretary for Justice has re-appointed existing Board members Sheriff Kenneth Ross, Elaine Rosie and Susan McPhee to the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB). Their first terms of appointment ended on March 31, 2008.
Sheriff Kenneth Ross has been a sheriff in Dumfries since 2000. He has previously served as a sheriff in Linlithgow for three years and as a temporary sheriff for ten years. Before becoming a sheriff, he was a solicitor for 23 years. He is a former President of the Law Society of Scotland and is currently a member of the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland. While Sheriff Ross remains a sheriff, he receives no remuneration for this appointment or any other Ministerial appointment.
Elaine Rosie has been the Training and Development Manager with Shelter Scotland since 2000, with responsibility for training and the Scottish Homelessness Advisory Service. Before this, she was the Depute Director of Shelter Scotland for eight years, with responsibility for managing all Shelter's advice and legal services provision in Scotland. She holds no other Ministerial public appointments.
Susan McPhee has been the Head of Social Policy and Public Affairs with Citizens Advice Scotland since 1998. Before this, she was legal services adviser with Citizens Advice Scotland, having previously been a solicitor in private practice from 1981 to 1990. She holds no other Ministerial public appointments.
These re-appointments will be for four years and will run from April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2012.
The posts are part-time and attract a remuneration of £8,592 for a time commitment of 3½ days per month.
SLAB is an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body established under the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986 to manage legal aid in Scotland. Its primary aims are to deliver efficient, effective and value for money legal assistance services; to broaden access by exploring new ways of providing and supporting quality assured legal advice services; to contribute to the improvement and effective operation of the justice system.
These Ministerial public appointments were made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland's Code of Practice.
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 over the last 5 years (if there is any to be declared) to be made public. None of the re-appointed Board members has declared involvement in any political activity.