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Justice appointments
09/01/2009
The Minister for Community Safety, Fergus Ewing today announced the appointment of one new member to the Administrative Justice and Tribunals Council and its Scottish Committee (with agreement of the Lord Chancellor and the Welsh Ministers) and two new members to the Scottish Committee. Mr Michael Scanlan and Mr Richard Henderson commenced their appointments with the Scottish Committee on January 5, 2009 and Professor Andrew Coyle will commence his appointment to the full Council and the Scottish Committee on September 2, 2009.
The AJTC is an independent advisory non-departmental public body. Its function is to keep under review the administrative justice system as a whole, with a view to making it accessible, fair and efficient.
All the appointments are part time and will run for a period of four years from commencement. The Council and Scottish Committee Post attracts a remuneration of £12,627 for a time commitment of 44 days per annum. The Scottish Committee Posts attract a remuneration of £10,044 for a time commitment of 35 days per annum.
Professor Coyle holds two other public appointments, neither of which is remunerated. He has been a member of the Foreign Secretary's Expert Panel against Torture since 2002 and a member of the National Advisory Body on Offender Management since 2006.
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. Andrew Coyle, Michael Scanlan and Richard Henderson have all declared no current political activity.
Michael Scanlan
Michael Scanlan lives in Lenzie and is a practising solicitor who is currently Vice President of the Scottish Law Agents Society. In the past Mr Scanlan has held a number of public appointments, including a temporary sheriff with the Scottish Courts Service, President of the Law Society of Scotland, and member of the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland.
Professor Andrew Coyle CMG
Professor Coyle lives in Edinburgh and is a former prison governor who now holds a professorial chair at Kings College, University of London. He has been involved in a number of senior advisory and board positions, and is currently a member of the three-person panel appointed by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to undertake a public inquiry into the murder of Billy Wright.
Mr Richard Henderson
Mr Henderson lives in Balerno, Edinburgh and until 2007 was the Solicitor to the Scottish Executive. He is currently President of the Law Society of Scotland and has previously or currently been involved in a number of committees such as the Joint Standing Committee on Legal Education in Scotland.