NEWS

The Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland is an independent advisory public body with the role of recommending individuals for appointment to judicial offices within the Board’s remit including judge of the Court of Session, chair of the Scottish Land Court, sheriff principal, sheriff, and summary sheriff.

Scottish Ministers are required by statute to consult the Lord President of the Court of Session before making their recommendation.

The daily fee of a part-time sheriff is £665.56.

The daily fee of a part-time summary sheriff is £533.92.

Robert Carr was educated at Knox Academy, Haddington and graduated from the University of Edinburgh with an LLB (Hons).  He undertook his apprenticeship with Strathern & Blair WS. Mr Carr was assumed as a partner of that firm and subsequently became a partner of Anderson Strathern, where he was Chair for 12 years. He is a Solicitor Advocate. He is a Regent of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and is a member of the Fair Work Convention. Mr Carr chairs the Edinburgh Airport Consultative Committee and the East Lothian Advice Consortium.

Duncan Hamilton QC is a graduate of the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh and was a Kennedy Scholar to Harvard University. He called at the Bar in 2006 and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2021. He was appointed Standing Junior Counsel to the Scottish Government in 2013 and has served as a Legal Convener of the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland since 2018. His practice has been predominantly in civil law, notably in public law, media law, clinical negligence and personal injury work. He was appointed ad hoc Advocate Depute in 2018. From 1999-2003 he served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament.

Dr Kirsty J Hood QC studied at the University of Glasgow, graduating with an LLB (Honours) (First Class), Diploma in Legal Practice, and PhD. She called to the Scottish Bar in 2001, and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2015. She was Clerk of Faculty at the Faculty of Advocates from October 2014 to April 2019. She called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2021. She is the author of Conflict of Laws within the UK (OUP).

Krista Johnston is a graduate of law from Edinburgh University. She trained with J and A Hastie, Edinburgh before joining More and Co, Dunfermline in 1992, where she specialised in criminal defence work. Along with others she founded the firm of Martin, Johnston and Socha in 1998. In 2007 she became a solicitor advocate and was accredited with senior status in 2020. She was appointed to the Scottish Sentencing Council in 2019.

Gareth Jones graduated in Law and Spanish from the University of Aberystwyth before completing Bar exams at the University of Cardiff. He was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2002 and after practicing at Lincoln House Chambers, Manchester, returned home to Scotland. He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 2011. In addition to establishing a practice at the Scottish Bar he was appointed as a Tribunal Judge of the Social Entitlement Chamber, Tribunal Judge of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber and Convener of the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland.

Neil Kinnear graduated from the University of Aberdeen with an LLB degree in 1990 and DLP in 1991. After serving a traineeship in Edinburgh, he called to the Scottish bar in 1994, and gained expertise in personal injury claims, commercial law, delict, contract, trusts and succession, bankruptcy and insolvency, rating, partnership, property law and professional negligence. He is a fee-paid Judge of the First-tier Tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber), a Legal Member of the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber), a legal member of the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Social Security Chamber), and a tutor and lecturer in Civil Litigation and Advanced Civil Litigation at the Glasgow University Diploma in Legal Practice.

Mark Lindsay QC graduated from the University of Glasgow, obtaining an LLB Honours in 1990 and a Diploma in Legal Practice in 1991. He trained as a solicitor in Edinburgh with Tods Murray, WS and qualified as a solicitor in 1993. After qualifying as a solicitor he worked as a litigation solicitor in the Office of the Solicitor to the Secretary of State for Scotland. He called to the Scottish Bar in 1996 and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2011. He was Standing Junior Counsel to the Secretary of State for the Home Department from 2000 to 2011. He was appointed as a legally qualified chair of the Police Appeal Tribunal in 2013.

Scott Manson read law at the University of Glasgow graduating with first class honours in 2006. He trained as a solicitor with bto in Glasgow and practised with the firm in insurance litigation until 2012 when he joined the commercial litigation team at MacRoberts. In 2013 he was awarded the Lord Reid Scholarship and admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 2014. At the bar, he practices principally in the fields of commercial, construction project, property, maritime and professional negligence litigation. He is a member of various Faculty committees and an ad hoc tutor in civil procedure on the Diploma in Legal Practice at the University of Glasgow.

Christian Marney graduated LL.B. (Honours) from the University of Strathclyde in 1987. He qualified as a solicitor in Glasgow and continued in private practice there until 1997, latterly with Biggart Baille. He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1998 and to Fellowship of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in 2019. He has a wide ranging civil practice at the bar with a particular interest in commercial and construction disputes, professional negligence and personal injury.

Robert More graduated with first class honours in law from Edinburgh University in 2005. He undertook a mixed litigation traineeship with Drummond Miller LLP in Edinburgh before joining George More and Company upon qualification as a solicitor in 2008. He became a partner in the firm in 2009 and qualified as a criminal Solicitor Advocate in 2012. In 2013 he established Robert More and Company which specialises in criminal law. He was Vice-President of the Edinburgh Bar Association between 2017 and 2019.

James Mulgrew obtained LLB Honours and Diploma in Legal Practice from the University of Strathclyde. He commenced his traineeship with Fitzpatrick & Co in 1996 and joined COPFS in 1999. He returned to private practice in 2005 and qualified as a solicitor advocate in the criminal courts in 2006. He is a partner with Russells Gibson McCaffrey engaged in general practice. He has been curator ad litem with MHTS and a member of the criminal law committee of the Law Society of Scotland. He is a legal assessor with GTCS.

Iain Nicol is a graduate of the University of Aberdeen. Since 1991 he has been a solicitor in private practice. He has been an accredited specialist in personal injury law since 2003. He acted as a peer reviewer for 15 years under the Law Society’s legal aid quality assurance scheme, has served on the SCJC Costs and Funding Committee and is convener of the Law Society’s Civil Justice Committee. He co-authored the Handbook on Costs and Funding in the Scottish Civil Courts, due for publication in September 2022.

Graham Primrose Q.C. obtained an LLB and a Diploma in Legal Practice from Aberdeen University. He commenced a traineeship with Balfour and Manson, Edinburgh in 1990, qualifying as a solicitor two years later. He was called to the bar in 1993 and initially undertook a varied civil practice before specialising in reparation and clinical negligence. He took silk in 2008. He was appointed as an ad-hoc Advocate Depute in 2008, and as an Arbiter to the Motor Insurers’ Bureau in 2017. 

Paul Reid was educated at Arbroath High School before studying law at Edinburgh University, which included a year at Lund University, Sweden under the ERASMUS programme. He graduated with an LLB (Honours) degree in 2004 and after a traineeship worked as solicitor until calling to the Bar in 2011. In 2015, he was appointed as Standing Junior Counsel to the Scottish Government and then in 2020 was appointed First Standing Junior. He has been an ad hoc Advocate Depute since 2017. He has also taught public law at Edinburgh University since 2004 and is the author of a leading textbook on the subject.

Catherine Smith QC graduated from the University of Glasgow with a MA (Hons) in History and an LLB. She was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 2007 and has had a wide-ranging practice at the Bar. She was Standing Junior Counsel to the Advocate General from 2012 – 2021 and is currently on the Equality and Human Rights Commission Panel of Counsel; an Ad Hoc Advocate Depute and Counsel to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal. She sits on the Scottish Civil Justice Council and is a founding member and the Deputy Chair of JUSTICE Scotland. She was appointed Queens Counsel in 2021.                   

Roderick (known as Rory) Bannerman was educated at Hawick High School. He graduated from Edinburgh University with and Ordinary degree and diploma. He has been in private practice since at Bannerman Burke Law in Hawick, while also holding various Tribunal chair positions.

Nigel Cooke graduated in law from the University of Dundee in 1983 and obtained the Diploma in Legal Practice in 1984. He began his legal career as a trainee solicitor with Hagart and Burn Murdoch WS in 1984 and completed his training with Lindsays in 1986. He joined McKenzies Solicitors in Kirkcaldy, where he continues to work, as an assistant solicitor in 1988 and was assumed partner in 1989. Throughout his life at McKenzies he has dealt with a wide range of criminal, civil and family litigation in the sheriff court.

Craig Findlater studied at the University of Aberdeen, graduating in 2005 with a Bachelor of Laws degree with honours and in 2006 with a Diploma in Legal Practice. On leaving university he joined the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service where he trained as a solicitor. He was subsequently admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 2012. He has been both an ad hoc Advocate Depute and a reporter for Session Cases since 2017.

Morag Fraser graduated from Glasgow University in 1985 and completed the Diploma in Legal Practice. She is accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a Family Law Specialist and Family Law Mediator. She is a former Vice-convener of CALM. Mrs Fraser is Senior Tutor in Civil Litigation and Joint Senior Tutor in Advanced Civil Litigation on Glasgow University’s Diploma in Legal Practice. She is a peer-reviewer for the Law Society of Scotland. She manages her own firm dealing primarily with Family Law. She is a Director of Relationships Scotland Central Scotland. Mrs Fraser is a fee paid First Tier Tribunal Judge.

Edward Gilroy graduated from the University of Strathclyde in 1989 with an LLB (Hons) degree and the Diploma in Legal Practice in 1990. He completed his traineeship with John S Boyle Solicitors and was employed with JC Hughes, Solicitors between 1992 and 1996. In 1997 he joined Berry Scullion, Solicitors where he progressed to partner. In 2004 he established his own practice Gilroy & Co, Solicitors and continued to focus primarily on criminal defence work. In 2012 he qualified as a solicitor advocate (criminal) extending his practice to the regular conduct of High Court work.

James Hastie was educated at Kelso High School and the Universities of Aberdeen (LLB (Hons)) and Edinburgh (Dip LP). He worked as a solicitor for 13 years before being admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 2004. He was a tutor in Civil Court Practice on the Diploma in Legal Practice at Edinburgh University for 15 years.

Karen Kirk graduated from Strathclyde University and undertaking her traineeship at Legal Services Agency, a Law Centre, where was made Associate and thereafter Partner. She is a Safeguarder under the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000. She is a Solicitor Advocate. She was accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in mental health law and in incapacity and disability law. She was appointed as a Legal Member of the Housing and Property Tribunal in 2017 and the Mental Health Tribunal in 2018. She is a member of the Law Society Mental Health and Disability Committee. She has tutored in Civil Litigation at Glasgow University on the Diploma since 2010. She is a consultant with JustRight Scotland. She is a partner of Kirk Hanlon Solicitors, an incapacity and mental health law practice.

Sean Lynch was educated at Saint Joseph’s Academy, Kilmarnock and at the University of Edinburgh (LLB (Hons.)) and the University of Glasgow (DipLP). He trained with James Guthrie & Co, Kilmarnock and was admitted as a solicitor in 1984. He has been a partner in McCluskey Browne, Kilmarnock since 1988 dealing mainly with civil court practice. He also prosecutes before the Scottish Solicitors Discipline Tribunal. He previously served as a Temporary Sheriff in 1999.

David MacLeod graduated with a BA in Accounting (1989); an LLB (1992); a Diploma in Legal Practice (1993) and an LLM (Oil and Gas Law, 2002).  He was a trainee solicitor in Crown Office and the Procurator Fiscal Service and an assistant solicitor in private practice specialising in criminal defence work prior to calling to the Bar in 2000 and as a Barrister in London in 2010.  He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a Chartered Arbitrator.

Kevin McCarron is a graduate of the University of Glasgow with an LL.B. (Honours) Degree and a Diploma in Legal Practice. He commenced his traineeship with Ness Gallagher Solicitors, Motherwell and Wishaw, where he continues to practise, and is now Senior Partner.

Shirley McKenna was the managing director of a property and financial services company for 15 years. She went on to study law and obtained an LLB and Diploma in Legal Practice from the University of Strathclyde. She began her legal career with Semple Fraser and thereafter joined Nicholas J Scullion & Co. She was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 2005. She was appointed as a full time Advocate Depute in 2012 and has worked in the National Sex Crimes Unit as part of her commission.

Clair McLachlan graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1992. She trained and qualified as a solicitor with Russells and is now a partner in its successor firm, Russells Gibson McCaffrey in Glasgow. Ms McLachlan has broad experience across all areas of sheriff court work but practices, primarily, in civil litigation and has a particular interest in Family Law. She regularly tutors in Civil Litigation, is a council member of the Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow and a past president of the Glasgow Bar Association.

Mark Moir QC served in the Royal Air Force from 1983 until 1992. In 1996 he graduated with an LLB from the University of Edinburgh. He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 2000. In 2005 he graduated with a BA from the Open University. In 2021 he was appointed Queen’s Counsel.

David Nicolson studied at the University of Glasgow and was a solicitor between 1990 and 2004, before calling to the Bar in 2005.  As an Advocate he has conducted a wide range of criminal trials and was a full time Advocate Depute between 2011 and 2015.  In April 2018 he was appointed a legal chair to the Parole Board for Scotland.

Mark O’Hanlon is a graduate from the University of Glasgow. He trained with Hughes Dowdall solicitors in Glasgow and set up his own firm Mains Solicitors in 1995. He qualified as a Solicitor Advocate civil in 2016. He is a member of the Professional Practice and client Protection sub committees of The Law Society of Scotland. He is a former dean of The Society of Solicitors of Hamilton and District and Secretary of the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association as well as several other committees. Mr O’Hanlon is also a part-time tutor and Lecturer at the University of Glasgow in Civil Litigation and Commercial Awareness

Garry Sutherland graduated from the University of Aberdeen with a LLB (Hons) Degree in 2000 and obtained a Diploma in Legal Practice from the University of Dundee in 2001. He trained with the firm then known as Macnab, Gordon and Douglas, qualifying as a solicitor in the litigation department. Between 2004 and 2006 he worked within the Legal Services Division of Perth and Kinross Council before returning to the firm now known as Macnabs LLP as an Associate. He became a partner in Macnabs LLP in 2010.

Rhona Wark was educated at Irvine Royal Academy, obtained an LLB (Hons) Degree from the University of Aberdeen in 1986, a Diploma in Legal Practice in 1987, LLM (Employment Law and Practice) from Robert Gordon University in 2005 and BSc. (Hons) Psychology with Counselling (OU) in 2021. She qualified as a solicitor in 1991, having trained with Mackintosh & Wylie.  She joined McMillian Kilpatrick in 1992 as a Qualified Assistant, becoming a Partner in 1996. In 2001, she joined Clairmonts , which later merged with Bell & Scott, now Anderson Strathern, as a Partner, in Commercial Litigation and Employment. She joined BTO Solicitors as a Consultant in September 2016, in their Commercial Dispute Resolution Team.