Sheriff Appeal Court membership announced

Sheriff Principal Mhairi Stephen QC is to be the President of the new Sheriff Appeal Court and Sheriff Principal Craig Scott QC Vice President, the Lord President confirmed today as the full membership of the new body was announced.

Created by the Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014, the court will be established at the start of the new legal year in September 2015, at first with jurisdiction for criminal cases and after January 2016 with jurisdiction in civil cases.

Retired Sheriffs Principal Alastair Dunlop QC and Brian Lockhart are also among those to be appointed by the Lord President to the new office of appeal sheriff. Under the Act, serving sheriffs principal also hold office as appeal sheriffs.

The other appointments are Sheriff Paul Arthurson QC, Sheriff John Beckett QC, Sheriff Peter Braid, Sheriff Alasdair MacFadyen, Sheriff Kenneth Maciver, Sheriff John Morris QC, Sheriff Nigel Morrison QC, Sheriff Sean Murphy QC, Sheriff Michael O’Grady QC and Sheriff Nikola Stewart QC.

The Sheriff Appeal Court will predominantly sit in Edinburgh, but sittings may also be held elsewhere in Scotland. Members may sit singly or as a larger court.