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Appointment of a new Sheriff
22/05/2012
Her Majesty the Queen has appointed Sheriff Derek Pyle, solicitor, as Sheriff Principal for the Sheriffdom of Grampian, Highlands and Islands.
First Minister Alex Salmond nominated Sheriff Pyle for appointment on the basis of a report by the independent Judicial Appointments Board.
Sheriff Pyle was appointed on 2 May and will take up appointment on 1 June 2012.
Derek Pyle was admitted as a solicitor in 1976 and as a solicitor advocate in 1994. He became partner at Dove Lockhart in 1978 and senior partner at Wilson, Pyle & Co. in 1980. From 1990 to 1999 he was senior partner at Henderson Boyd Jackson, where he was head of litigation and joint managing partner for corporate and commercial matters. From 1998 to 1999 he was a Temporary Sheriff and from 2000 he has been a full time Sheriff in various courts in Tayside and the Highlands. He is also a member of the Scottish Court Service Board.
The salary of a Sheriff Principal is £138,548 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.