NEWS

His Majesty has appointed Collette Gallagher, Anna Reid, Joseph Stewart, Lorna Anderson, Clare Arias, Sean Lynch, Angela Farrell, Edward Gilroy, Maria Kicinski, Mark Allan, Neil Kinnear, Clair McLachlan and Mark O’Hanlon to the office of Summary Sheriff, on the recommendation of the First Minister.

First Minister, Humza Yousaf made his recommendation 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, chair of the Scottish Land Court, sheriff principal, sheriff, and summary sheriff.

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

The salary of a summary sheriff is £126,514 per annum.

Notes to editors

Collette Gallagher graduated with an LLB Honours Degree from the University of Glasgow in 2008 and completed her Diploma in Legal Practice in 2009. After her traineeship she practised as a mental health and incapacity law solicitor before joining the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration in 2016.  In 2018 she was appointed as a Legal Member of the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland, Health and Education Chamber (Additional Support Needs). In January 2022 she was appointed as a convener to the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland where she also sat as an in-house convener.

Anna Reid is a law graduate of the University of Edinburgh. She trained at Maclay Murray & Spens and undertook a range of civil litigation roles within Maclays post qualification. She joined the Government Legal Service for Scotland in 2007 and worked initially as a legal advisor at the Scottish Parliament. She joined the Civil Recovery Unit in 2010, undertaking non conviction based civil recovery work on behalf of the Scottish Ministers under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Joe (Joseph) Stewart graduated from Aberdeen University in 1999 and obtained a Diploma in legal practice from Edinburgh University in 2002. He joined COPFS as a trainee solicitor where he spent most of his career, interrupted by a period as a defence solicitor in 2007-2008. Prior to being appointed as a Summary Sheriff he was a member of the criminal law committee of the Law Society of Scotland.

Lorna Anderson graduated with honours from Glasgow University in 1991 and completed the Diploma in Legal Practice there in 1992. Engaged thereafter as a solicitor, then partner, in private practice.  Appointed partner at Kelly & Co, Glasgow in 2002. Accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in Child Law. Appointed part-time legal member of mental Health Tribunal in 2018 and part-time tutor in family law since 2020.

Clare Arias graduated from Glasgow University in 1997 with an LLB (Hons) in Public International Law and in 2000 obtained the Diploma in Legal Practice, followed by an LLM in Human Rights Law from Strathclyde University in 2007 and a Diploma in Forensic Medical Sciences from Glasgow University in 2013.  Following her traineeship, she undertook criminal defence work and thereafter worked with an immigration charity, representing asylum and immigration clients in Tribunal appeal cases. From 2004, she worked as a Children’s Reporter, until 2009, when she joined COPFS. She was appointed a Principal Procurator Fiscal Depute in 2018.

Sean Lynch was educated at Saint Joseph’s Academy, Kilmarnock and at the Universities of Edinburgh (LLB (Hons)) and Glasgow (Dip.LP). 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 litigation, and is a Past Dean of the Kilmarnock Faculty of Solicitors. He was previously a Safeguarder, and is on the lists of Child Welfare Reporters and Curators ad litem and Reporting Officers for Adoption and Permanence serving Kilmarnock Sheriff Court. He prosecutes before the Scottish Solicitors Discipline Tribunal. Between 2018 and 2021 he was External Examiner in Professional Legal Practice and Ethics at the University of Strathclyde. He served as a Temporary Sheriff in 1999, and has held a commission as a Part-time Summary Sheriff since January 2022.

Angela Farrell graduated with a First Class (Hons) degree from the University of Strathclyde in 1997.  She joined the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service as a Trainee Solicitor in 1998 where she has remained except for a secondment to Lord Coulsfield’s Review of Disclosure of Evidence in Criminal Proceedings in 2007. Thereafter she has held a number of senior roles within COPFS, including as Deputy Head of High Court, as Assistant Procurator Fiscal in Glasgow Sheriff and Jury and Summary Units and Serious and Organised Crime Unit, and latterly as Procurator Fiscal on the COPFS Sexual Offences Review commissioned by the Lord Advocate in 2022.

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. In 2022 he was appointed as a Part-time Summary Sheriff.

Maria Kicinski graduated from the University of Glasgow with an LLB (Hons) degree in 2001 and from the University of Nottingham with an LLM in International Human Rights Law in 2004. She obtained a Diploma in Legal Practice from the University of Edinburgh in 2005. She joined the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service as a trainee solicitor in 2005 and has held a variety of roles there since, including as the Crown Agent's legal assistant. She was appointed Assistant Procurator Fiscal at the National Initial Case Processing unit in 2022 and has been an advocacy trainer since 2008. 

Mark Allan graduated from the University of Glasgow with an LLB honours degree in 1993. He trained, qualified and was latterly a partner in private practice in Greenock. He joined the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in 2001 and has been a Procurator Fiscal Depute in Glasgow for 23 years. 

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 part-time Sheriff, 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 Convener of the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Social Security Chamber), and a former tutor and lecturer in Civil Litigation and Advanced Civil Litigation at the Glasgow University Diploma in Legal Practice.

Clair McLachlan graduated from the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde. She completed her traineeship with Russells in 1995 and is now a partner in its successor firm, Russells Gibson McCaffrey. She has broad experience across all areas of Sheriff Court work, in particular, civil litigation and family law. She has tutored in civil litigation, served on the Council of the Royal Faculty of Procurators, Glasgow and is a past president of the Glasgow Bar Association. In January 2022, she was appointed a part-time Summary Sheriff. 

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 treasurer of the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association as well as several other committees. He is also a part-time tutor and Lecturer at the University of Glasgow in Civil Litigation and Commercial Awareness as well as being appointed as a part time Summary Sheriff in January 2022