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Appointment of new sheriffs
21/02/2012
Two new sheriffs have been appointed by Her Majesty the Queen.
The appointments, on 4 February, will see Mr Derek Jack Hamilton, Solicitor, as sheriff at Greenock Sheriff Court and Mr Peter Paterson, Solicitor, as an all Scotland floating sheriff based at Arbroath.
First Minister Alex Salmond nominated Mr Hamilton and Mr Paterson for appointment on the basis of a report by the independent Judicial Appointments Board.
Mr Hamilton will take up appointment on 1 May 2012 and Mr Paterson will take up appointment on a date to be arranged.
Mr Hamilton was admitted as a solicitor in 1983. In 1999 he was a founding partner of Hamilton Ross, Solicitors. He has experience in both criminal and civil work, and was an accredited personal injury specialist. Mr Hamilton holds a number of Judicial and Tribunal appointments. In 2006 he became an Honorary Sheriff and an Immigration Judge. In 2007 he became a Legal Convenor with the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland, moving on to become in-house convener in 2008. Since 2010 he has been a Legal Advisor to the General Dental Council and a Duty Immigration Judge, both sitting in England, and since 2011 a judge in the Social Entitlement Chamber.
Mr Paterson was admitted as a Solicitor in 1980 and worked with Skene Edwards WS as an Assistant in charge of litigation until being made a partner in 1986. In 2000 Mr Paterson moved to Tods Murray LLP as Partner in their Litigation Department until 2004 when he became Department Managing Partner. Mr Paterson has been a temporary sheriff and a part time Chairman of Employment Tribunals. In 2005 he was appointed as a part-time sheriff.
The salary of a sheriff is £128,296 per annum.
The Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland was established by Ministers in 2002 and it became an independent advisory non-departmental public body on 1 June 2009. The Board has statutory responsibilities under the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008. The Board’s role is to recommend for appointment to the office of judge, sheriff principal, sheriff and part-time sheriff. The First Minister retains the statutory responsibility for making nominations to Her Majesty the Queen. The First Minister is required by statute to consult the Lord President of the Court of Session before making his nomination to Her Majesty.