Sheriff Principal Anwar to head Sheriff Appeal Court

The Lord President, Lord Carloway has appointed Sheriff Principal Aisha Anwar as President of the Sheriff Appeal Court, and Sheriff Principal Sean Murphy as Vice President.

Taking effect respectively from 1 August 2023 and 17 May 2023, the appointments follow the upcoming retirement of the current President, Sheriff Principal Marysia Lewis, and Sheriff Principal Craig Turnbull’s appointment as a Senator of the College of Justice. 

Sheriff Principal Anwar was appointed Sheriff Principal of South Strathclyde, Dumfries & Galloway in 2020 and transferred to Glasgow & Strathkelvin in 2023. Before that she served as a sheriff from 2014 and part-time sheriff from 2011. She has recently been appointed to the Scottish Courts & Tribunals Service Board and is a member of the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland and chair of the Summary Case Management Pilot Project board. Prior to her appointment to the bench she was a partner in Maclay Murray & Spens and head of litigation for Scotland. 

Sheriff Principal Sean Murphy KC was appointed Sheriff Principal of North Strathclyde in December 2022 after being appointed Temporary Sheriff Principal in June 2022. Having called to the bar in 1992, he took silk in 2003 and was appointed as a sheriff in 2007 and an appeal sheriff in 2015.

The Lord President said: "I would like to express my gratitude for the diligence and assistance provided by Sheriffs Principal Lewis and Turnbull. The knowledge and expertise which they brought to the Sheriff Appeal Court and their sheriffdoms has been considerable.

"I am grateful to Sheriffs Principal Anwar and Murphy 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."