Lewis to succeed Stephen as Sheriff Appeal Court head

Sheriff Principal Marysia Lewis has been appointed President of the Sheriff Appeal Court from 1 May 2022, on the retirement of Sheriff Principal Mhairi Stephen, the court's first President,

Also, from 10 May, Sheriff Principal Craig Turnbull will become Vice President of the court as Sheriff Principal Duncan Murray retires.

Sheriff Principal Lewis was appointed Sheriff Principal of Tayside, Central & Fife in 2015. Before that she served as a sheriff from 2008 and part time sheriff from 2006. As a solicitor she practised successively with Monklands District Council, City of Aberdeen District Council, and Ledingham Chalmers LLP, where she was a partner from 1987-2008.

Sheriff Principal Turnbull was appointed Sheriff Principal of Glasgow & Strathkelvin in September 2016. He was appointed a part-time sheriff in 2011 and became a sheriff in 2014. As a solicitor he practised successively with AC White in Ayr, Levy & McRae in Glasgow, and MacRoberts, where he became a partner in 1997 and served as managing partner from 2011 to 2014.

The appointments were made by the Lord President, Lord Carloway, who said: "I would like to express my gratitude for the diligence and assistance provided by Sheriffs Principal Stephen and Murray over the years. The knowledge and expertise which they brought to the Sheriff Appeal Court and their sheriffdoms has been considerable.

"I am grateful to Sheriffs Principal Lewis and Turnbull for taking on the roles of President and Vice President. I am in no doubt that they will continue to carry out the important work as their predecessors have."