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Judicial Appointments Board
28/07/2010
The Cabinet Secretary for Justice today announced the appointment of a new member to the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland.
The new member is Iain Gillies Armstrong QC.
Mr Armstrong is a graduate of the University of Glasgow who was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1986, and appointed Queen's Counsel in 2000. He was Clerk of Faculty from 1995 to 1999, Standing Junior Counsel to the Department of Social Security from 1998 to 2000 and Crown Counsel from 2000 to 2003. He is currently the Vice-Dean of Faculty having been elected in 2008.
Mr Armstrong has experience over a broad spectrum of the law, both civil and criminal. His breadth of experience, understanding of the Scottish legal system and the role of the judiciary together with his professional standing will complement and strengthen the current Board.
This appointment will run for 4 years from 12 July 2010 to 11 July 2014.
This post is part-time and attracts a remuneration of £290 per day for a time commitment of 20 to 30 days per year.
Mr Armstrong does not hold any other public appointment.
The Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland was established by Ministers in 2002; and it became an independent advisory non-departmental public body on 1st June 2009. The Board has statutory responsibilities under the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008. The Board's role is to make recommendations to Ministers for appointment to the office of judge, sheriff principal, sheriff, and part-time sheriff as well as other judicial offices set out in the Act.
This Ministerial public appointment was made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland's Code of Practice.
All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees' political activity within the last 5 years (if there is one to be declared) to be made public. There is no political activity to be declared.
There are 10 Board Members: three judicial and two legal members (a Judge, a Sheriff Principal, a Sheriff, an Advocate and a Solicitor) and five lay members including the lay Chairing Member.
The lay Chairing Member is Sir Muir Russell, KCB FRSE