NEWS

Serving North Strathclyde and South Strathclyde, Dumfries & Galloway.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon made her recommendations for appointment on the basis of a report by the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland.

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, sheriff principal, sheriff, and summary sheriff.

The First Minister has statutory responsibility for making recommendations to Her Majesty the Queen and is required by statute to consult the Lord President of the Court of Session before making her recommendation.

The salary of a sheriff is £143,095 per annum.

Colm Dempsey is a law graduate of Aberdeen and Edinburgh Universities. He trained with East Lothian Council before moving to Gillfedder and McInnes, qualifying as a solicitor in 2006 and became Managing Partner at Capital Defence Lawyers in 2011. He was the Secretary of the East Lothian Bar Association from 2012. He was granted Rights of Audience as a Solicitor Advocate in the High Court of Justiciary in 2014. Mr Dempsey was appointed to the Scottish Rugby Union Discipline and Appeals Panel in 2017 and as a Summary Sheriff in 2019.

Kevin McCallum QC graduated with LLB (Honours) from Strathclyde University in 1987, obtaining his Diploma in Legal Practice in 1988. He holds a Masters’ Degree in International Commercial Law from Aberdeen University. After a traineeship in Barrhead, between 1990 and 1999 he worked as a Procurator Fiscal Depute and a defence solicitor in Glasgow. He called to the Bar in June 2000. Between 2004 and 2009, he served as an Advocate Depute and Senior Advocate Depute, returning to defence practice in January 2010. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2020. He is a member of the Bar of England & Wales.

Nicola Patrick studied at Glasgow University graduating with an LLB and Diploma in Legal Practice.  She undertook a traineeship at Ross Harper Solicitors before joining the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in 1999 as a depute in Kilmarnock.  She was the youngest person ever to be appointed as a District Procurator Fiscal taking up appointment in Stranraer in 2002.  She became Head of Learning and Development in 2005 and obtained a Diploma in Trial Advocacy at Harvard, USA in 2006.  She obtained a Masters in Strategic Leadership from Stirling University in 2008 and then held a series of senior posts within COPFS, including Head of Homicide and Major Crime.