Solicitors appointed to justice bodies

Legal professionals are among those named in new appointments to Community Justice Scotland and the Risk Management Authority.

Operational from 1 April 2017, Community Justice Scotland is a non-departmental public body charged with setting a new strategic direction for community justice in Scotland and providing independent assurance on the delivery of improved outcomes. Two solicitors are among four newly announced board appointments: Gerry Bann and Gerry McClay.

Mr Bann, senior partner in Adams Whyte, has specialised in criminal law since 1992 and has also been a board member of the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission. Mr McClay, who has more than 30 years' criminal defence experience, currently with his own practice in Glasgow, also has SCCRC board experience and was a member of the management team responsible for establishing the Glasgow Drug Court. He is a past President of the Glasgow Bar Association.

The other members announced are Linda Bendle, who joins Community Justice Scotland as the family member of someone within the community justice system, and Glenys Watt, co-founder of social research consultancy Blake Stevenson Ltd, from which she recently retired.

These appointments, which require up to 20 days' commitment a year, are for three years until 29 February 2020.

Meanwhile solicitor Jane Davey is among four new appointments to the board of the Risk Management Authority, which supports the assessment and management of the risk of serious harm presented by sexual and other violent offenders in Scotland. Currently principal litigation solicitor for Highland Council where she has been for 19 years, she has wide experience of multi-agency public protection and risk assessment and drafting policies and procedures. 

Her appointment, requiring two to three days a month for the four years to 31 March 2021, was announced along with those of retired social work director David Crawford as convener, and forensic clinical psychologist Dr Aileen Burnett and former police commander Terry Powell, also a member of the Parole Board for Scotland, as board members.