Three appointed to Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission

Three new members have been appointed to the Scottish Criminal Case Review Commission, the body that investigates alleged miscarriages of justice in the Scottish courts. They are solicitor advocate Colin Dunipace, Professor Jim Fraser and Dr Rajan Darjee.

Mr Dunipace has practised in criminal law in a firm in Cumbernauld for over 20 years, and is a Council and board member of the Law Society of Scotland. He also serves on the Society's Criminal Law Committee, convenes the Society's Professional Conduct Committee and Appeals & Reviews Subcommittee, and has been appointed as a criminal peer reviewer by the Scottish Legal Aid Board. Since 2010, he has been a part-time stipendiary magistrate in Glasgow. He was appointed by the Lord President to serve on the Police Appeals Tribunal.

Professor Jim Fraser has extensive experience of criminal justice systems in the UK as an operational expert witness, case reviewer, senior police manager, independent consultant and policy advisor. He has also advised a range of agencies and other bodies on forensic, scientific and investigative matters, including police organisations in the UK and abroad, the UK and Scottish Governments, and Scottish and Westminster parliamentary committees.

Dr Rajan Darjee is a consultant forensic psychiatrist at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, honorary senior clinical lecturer in forensic psychiatry at the University of Edinburgh, a clinical lead with the NHS Scotland Forensic Network and an accredited risk assessor with the Risk Management Authority. He is a national expert on mentally disordered offenders, sexual offenders and risk assessment and has undertaken research and published on various topics in thse fields. He has prepared reports and given evidence in a number of criminal cases.

The appointments run from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2019, and attract a remuneration of £252 per day for a time commitment of three or four days per month.