Seven lawyers join Parole Board for Scotland

A solicitor has been appointed a general member, and six other lawyers are new legal members, of the Parole Board for Scotland.

Sarah Walker is one of four new general members. She has practised in civil litigation in Edinburgh for over nine years, and has carried out research in the area of diversity as a Thyne Scholar. She has also recently completed training as a prospective justice of the peace for Tayside, Central & Fife. The other new general members are Karen Alexander, a social worker and mental health officer, Jackie Peters, who currently leads a risk assessment and reintegration team, and Linda Reid, who works in forensic mental health.

The new legal members are Fiona Grant, a civil litigator in Edinburgh with a particular interest in fraud and financial crime, Sukhwinder Kaur Gill, a solicitor advocate specialising in criminal defence work and a part time summary sheriff, Stephen O'Rourke, advocate and currently member of the Scottish Sentencing Council, Patricia Pryce, a public sector court solicitor, Mirian Watson, who retired in 2015 from the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service, and David Young QC, advocate and a part time sheriff.

Psychiatrist Dr Karen Richard has been appointed as a specialist member in that discipline.

All the appointments are for six years from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2023, with a commitment of eight to 10 days a month.