Lady Carmichael was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Courts in May 2016. She served as a convenor of the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland, a part time sheriff and as a deputy judge of the Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber).

She is a graduate of the University of Glasgow and became an advocate in 1993. She was appointed as a Queen's Counsel in 2008, and served as Standing Junior Counsel to the Home Department and as reporter to the Scottish Legal Aid Board.   She was a tutor at the University of Edinburgh and a member of the Equality and Human Rights Commission panel of counsel. 

Lady Carmichael is a member of the Upper Tribunal for Scotland and has been a member of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal since 2019.    She was allocated to sit in family actions in the Court of Session in 2022.    She is a member of the Civil Justice Council for Scotland and chair of the council’s Access to Justice Committee.

The Hon Lady Carmichael (Ailsa Carmichael)