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Appointment of Senator to the College of Justice
24/07/2012
Her Majesty the Queen, on the recommendation of the First Minister, has appointed Margaret Elizabeth Scott QC as a Senator to the College of Justice.
First Minister Alex Salmond nominated Ms Scott for appointment on the basis of a report by the independent Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland.
Ms Scott, who was appointed on 12 July, will take up her appointment later in 2012.
Ms Scott was admitted as a solicitor in 1989 and to the Faculty of Advocates in 1991. She became a QC in 2002. Since 1991 she has been involved mainly in criminal defence work, specialising in appeals. From 1995 she regularly acted as senior counsel and from 1996 for a period as an ad hoc Advocate Depute. Since 2002 she has been lead counsel in some of the most difficult and serious cases including numerous full bench cases and cases before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council and United Kingdom Supreme Court. She was lead counsel on the Lockerbie appeal from 2007-2009. She was appointed as a part-time sheriff in 2002.
The salary of a Senator is £172,753 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 June 1, 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.