Brown to be Justice Secretary in Sturgeon's new cabinet
Keith Brown has been named as Cabinet Secretary for Justice in the administration formed by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in the wake of the Scottish Parliament elections.
A politics graduate and former Royal Marine, Mr Brown is also deputy leader of the SNP. He was Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Secretary from 2016 to 2018.
Before entering politics Mr Brown was a Royal Marine and served in the Falklands War. He graduated with a degree in politics from Dundee University. In his new post he will have responsibility for reform of the justice system as well as reducing reoffending.
His predecessor Humza Yousaf becomes Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, with responsibility for the NHS and its remobilisation beyond the pandemic, and the establishment of the National Care Service. (Among the junior ministerial appointments, Ash Denham, who was leading on the review of regulation of the legal profession, continues as Minister for Community Safety under Mr Brown.)
Angus Robertson has been appointed Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, covering constitutional policy, cross-government coordination of European and wider external relations, including post-Brexit relations. Shona Robison is to be Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government, tasked with reducing child poverty as well as work to deliver 100,000 affordable homes.
Kate Forbes' role as Finance Secretary has been expanded to cover economic strategy, the wellbeing economy, trade and inward investment, city and regional growth deals, enterprise and the digital economy.
Shirley-Anne Somerville becomes Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Michael Matheson is now Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, and Mairi Gougeon has been named as Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands.
John Swinney remains Deputy First Minister, with particular responsibility for driving cross-government action on COVID recovery. He will also take the lead on inter-governmental relations, public service reform, including within government, and the delivery of projects across government and wider society including the incorporation of the UN Human Rights treaties and the promise made to care experienced young people.
Announcing her cabinet, the First Minister said: "This term of office is unquestionably the most important one the nation has faced since devolution, more than 20 years ago. We are dealing with the joint challenges of a global pandemic and recovery from it, the ongoing tests posed by Brexit and the urgent, pressing need to take forward our net zero agenda as part of the global efforts to secure a greener future.
"The magnitude of these challenges is clear, but now is not a moment to shirk from those tasks but to embrace them. In the next five years, we have a chance to shape Scotland permanently for the better, creating a healthier, happier, fairer, more prosperous and more sustainable country for everyone who calls Scotland home, establishing a positive legacy for future generations."
Reacting to Mr Brown's appointment, Amanda Millar, President of the Law Society of Scotland said: "I congratulate Keith Brown on his nomination as Cabinet Secretary for Justice. It is vital that he focuses on ensuring our justice system recovers from the pandemic and that those in need of legal services get the help they deserve.
"Top of his in-box must be getting more financial support out to more legal aid firms across the country, many of which are fighting for survival because of the fall in court business. The package announced last year was a start but most of the promised £9m remains sitting in the Scottish Government’s bank account unspent. We need to get this money out to firms now, otherwise we risk an access to justice crisis across the country, impacting on society’s most vulnerable. My message to the new Cabinet Secretary is a simple one: time is running out."
Calling for a comprehensive plan to tackle the "huge backlog" of cases which built up because of the COVID lockdowns, she added: "Justice delayed is justice denied and the new ministerial team must concentrate on getting the resources which are needed across the board to increase court capacity in a way that is fair to all users.
"All of us look forward to working with Mr Brown and wish him well for the coming weeks and months."