Two sheriffs appointed to Grampian, Highland & Islands

Two new sheriffs have been appointed to serve in Grampian, Highland & Islands.

Morag McLaughlin will be based in Aberdeen Sheriff Court, and Robert McDonald in Banff.

Both are graduates of the University of Glasgow. Ms McLaughlin spent 21 years in the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service, latterly as area procurator fiscal for Grampian, then Lothian & Borders. Thereafter she was a member of the Scottish Police Authority board, the Parole Board for Scotland and the Scotland Committee of the Equality & Human Rights Commission before being appointed a summary sheriff in 2016.

Mr McDonald his career in 1976 with Anderson Fyfe Stewart & Young in Glasgow. In 1980 he moved to Inverness, joining MacArthur & Co as legal assistant and becoming partner there. In 1986 he joined Munro & Noble as litigation partner before moving to Stronachs in 2002, where he is head of the Dispute Resolution department and client relations partner. He became a solicitor advocate in 2003.

Both appointments are by the Queen, on the recommendation of the First Minister following a report by the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland.