Former solicitor is new chair of SLAB

Former solicitor Ray Macfarlane has been appointed chair of the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB), following the retirement of Iain Robertson.

Ms Macfarlane practised in Glasgow before moving into senior management roles in Scottish Enterprise, where she was managing director, and HBOS plc, where she was a senior director. She is also chairman of Home Scotland and a director of Home Group, the social enterprise and housing charity, and a trustee of the National Galleries of Scotland Foundation and of the Hopetoun House Foundation. She has held several board appointments in the public, private and voluntary sectors including the Scottish Housing Regulator. Her post at SLAB requires a commitment of two days a week at £307.51 a day. 

Annabelle Ewing, the Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs, has also confirmed the appointments as board members of SLAB of Marieke Dwarshuis, who holds various public sector roles; Tim McKay, chartered accountant and investment analyst; Sarah O’Neill, a non-practising solicitor specialising in consumer matters; Paul Reid, a civil and criminal solicitor advocate; and Lesley Ward, a solicitor with experience as a tribunal and panel member. This brings the composition of the board to seven women and seven men.

The appointments run from 1 April 2016 for years, apart from Ms Ward and Ms O'Neill whose appointments run for two years.