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STV News
28-05-2025
- Politics
- STV News
Part-time sheriff dismissed over 'vulgar' comments attacking inquiry chair
A part-time sheriff who accused the chair of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry of being a 'monster', 'deranged' and 'evil' has been removed from office. John Halley, an author and member of the Faculty of Advocates, was appointed as junior counsel to the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI) in October 2015 but was dismissed in April 2019, and posted a series of social media posts regarding chair of the inquiry, Lady Smith. In 2020, he was investigated for 'misbehaviour' regarding Twitter posts and public statements between May 2019 and December 2019. A probe around 'unfitness for office by reason of misbehaviour', led by Judge Lord Bracadale, found that 'it is inappropriate for a judicial office holder to conduct a campaign against another member of the judiciary in such a confrontational and public way… Such conduct is improper and not consistent with the dignity of judicial office'. Mr Halley brought a case against Lady Smith in an employment tribunal in July 2019, alleging disability discrimination, but withdrew his claim in December, and the proceedings were dismissed that month. In a series of statements in May 2019 he alleged that from September 1 2016 he had to suffer disability discrimination, harassment and victimisation by Lady Smith and accused her of being 'a danger to cancer sufferers at work'; and less than a month later, he branded her a 'serious danger to cancer sufferers'. In December 2019, he repeated the allegations to a broadcaster. However, a ruling issued on Wednesday found Mr Halley had the option to follow a formal grievance process, and was expected to behave with 'dignity' in his role. Procedures around fitness for office were postponed until February 2023, following a judicial review. However in several months in 2023, Mr Halley again posted on Twitter criticising Lady Smith, including calling her 'deranged', a 'monster' and a 'bully', and sharing an excerpt of his book, A Judicial Monstering – Child Sexual Abuse Cover Up and Corruption in Scotland. Mr Halley claimed by raising a case at the employment tribunal he had the right to be protected from allegations of 'misbehaviour' and claimed the communications did not constitute this. However, he was dismissed from his role on the basis that his posts amounted to 'personal attacks' and became 'progressively worse over time'. A report said: 'The fundamental problem for the judicial office holder is that it is not possible to identify anything which might reasonably and properly be categorised as a protected disclosure of information as opposed to mere vulgar abuse and vituperation, repeatedly made in the most unprofessional of terms. 'There is therefore in the present case no risk of confusing any protected disclosure with the terms in which it is advanced.' It added that 'communications were not framed in the way one might expect from a professional judge, conscious of the dignity of the office, exercising appropriate restraint, and aware of the need to preserve public confidence; rather the tone was offensive, vulgar and confrontational. 'The communications certainly amounted to a public attack on the character and integrity of a fellow judge.' It continued: 'The communications referred to the chair of the inquiry as evil, corrupt, a monster, who had manufactured false criminal charges against him to get him arrested, and who was a bully who had treated him viciously, an abuser, a danger to cancer sufferers, evil and deranged, questioning whether she was a normal, compassionate, rational human being, and saying that she was a person who was guilty of the abuse of public funds. 'The tenor of the communications, and the language used, becomes progressively worse over time and it is not unreasonable to categorise it as a campaign of personal abuse addressed to the inquiry chair.' It said the messages 'are seriously lacking in dignity…. not simply rash or intemperate comments showing a one-off lack of judgment. They evidence a sustained lack of judgment over an extended period of time.' The report said Mr Halley had 'brought the office of sheriff into disrepute'. It added: 'We are satisfied that (Mr Halley) is unfit to hold office by reason of misbehaviour.' A statement from the Scottish Government said: 'Given the gravity of the tribunal's findings, the First Minister accepted there are compelling reasons to remove part-time Sheriff Halley and has taken that decision.' The SCAI has been contacted for comment. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Press and Journal
26-05-2025
- Press and Journal
Organised crime lawyer jailed after £87,000 drug bust at Peterculter home
A former criminal lawyer who was caught dealing nearly £87,000 worth of ketamine from her Peterculter country house has been jailed for 18 months. Advocate Amanda Lothian, 65, was convicted of being concerned in the supply of the controlled class B drug from Lower Kennerty Mill in Peterculter during the Covid-19 pandemic. A jury of six women and nine men took less than an hour to find Lothian guilty by a unanimous verdict following her trial in April. During her sentencing hearing today, Lothian represented herself and told Sheriff William Summers that she accepts that she was involved in drug supply – but denied the drugs were hers. Aberdeen Sheriff Court was previously told police raided Lothian's former home on August 28 2020 following a period of surveillance. A search of the house and a black Volvo registered to Lothian – a former member of the Faculty of Advocates who specialised in serious organised crime – uncovered two vacuum-packed bags of ketamine, worth £71,620. A further quantity of the drug was seized from a man named James Hanlon, who claimed he collected drugs from Lothian at the property off Burnside Road. He was arrested by police and found in possession of more than £15,000 worth of ketamine. Cash totalling nearly £4,000 was also found in various locations around the £600,000 former mill house. Jurors heard evidence during the four-day trial that police raided the Peterculter property on the afternoon of August 28 2020 where they found nearly a kilo of ketamine in Lothian's car. A sniffer dog named Buster then detected more ketamine within a wooden TV unit in the living room. During the defence evidence, Lothian, who represented herself, claimed that she had no knowledge of any drugs being inside her property and claimed she had been a victim of cuckooing at the hands of Hanlon. She stated that she had 'absolutely no idea what was going on inside that house'. Quizzed by Ms Thompson about why her DNA was found on the bag containing the drugs, Lothian stated that she had moved them, believing that they were a muscle-building supplement. Ms Thompson put it to her that Lothian must have 'incredibly poor luck' for her DNA to be on illegal drugs she claims she knew nothing about. The fiscal depute then asked Lothian whether she had started selling drugs to make a little extra cash to pay the rent on the huge Peterculter property. 'No,' she replied, adding: 'I find the suggestion laughable. It's absurd. I'm not the distributor.' Addressing the court today, the former advocate said that she accepted the verdict of the jury. 'I'm not maintaining my innocence in that I could or should've known what was going on – but that's not incompatible in maintaining that the drugs didn't belong to me,' Lothian said. 'I'm accepting that I had some part in the chain of supply, but I'm not accepting that the drugs are mine.' Lothian went on to tell the court that she had a serious degenerative lung condition and was taking part in an experimental drug trial at St Bart's Hospital in London, which involves regular injections. She described it as 'critical' to her future good health. However, sentencing Lothian, Sheriff William Summers told her that she had been found unanimously guilty by a jury of being concerned in the supply of drugs. He said that he took into account her health, her age and the fact that she was convicted of supply on a single day. 'With all that notwithstanding, this is a very serious charge,' he continued. 'The harm to those who abuse drugs is well documented and it's clear that a significant number of drugs were involved,' Sheriff Summers said, adding that he 'must respect the finding of the jury' in this case. 'In my opinion, the only appropriate disposal in your case is the imposition of a custodial sentence,' he said. Sheriff Summers sentenced Lothian to 18 months in prison.
The Herald Scotland
16-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Major Scots council spent £1m on lawyers amid legal fights
A Freedom of Information request by The Herald has revealed that the council spent £1,050,817 on payments to external law firms and the Faculty of Advocates since January 1st, 2023. Protests rocked Aberdeen that March after the SNP-Lib Dem council leaders announced plans to close six libraries in deprived areas of the city in a bid to save £280,000. A popular swimming pool was also earmarked for closure. Thousands signed petitions to keep the libraries open. (Image: Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco) Local residents took the council to the Court of Session later that spring over claims the authority had violated the Equality Act by failing to properly assess the impact of the closures. In August 2023, the parties settled outside of court after the council agreed to hold a public consultation about reopening the sites. While councillors voted to reopen Bucksburn Swimming Pool that winter, the six libraries remain shuttered, much to the chagrin of local residents. Now, it has been revealed that the council's defence cost £31,528. A spokesperson for the Save Aberdeen Libraries campaign said at the time: 'We take a small consolation from the fact that we have forced the council to take a long hard look at its processes, but it should not have taken legal action for that to happen after concerns had been raised. "Residents will hold the council to account and its decision making will be scrutinised even more closely.' Likewise, plans to redevelop St Fittick's Park in Torry sparked controversy in September 2023. Up to one-third of the park, which is the community's only publicly accessible green space, was earmarked for industrial use. Renewables company ETZ Ltd, backed by energy billionaire Sir Ian Wood, wants to build an office park on the site. St Fittick's Park in Torry could be turned into office space and industrial storage. The council was taken back to the Court of Session over its plans, with campaigners again arguing the Equality Act had been breached. While the Court ruled in favour of Aberdeen City Council in August last year, an appeal to the Court's Inner House was launched several weeks later. Solicitors at Govan Law Centre, which represents the claimant, said: 'Local campaigners believe the loss of the park will have an adverse impact on the health, wellbeing and amenity of local people in Aberdeen's Torry. 'In December 2021, 22 medical doctors from across Aberdeen published an open letter expressing their concern over the loss of the Park for local people. 'The doctors drew a comparison between the Aberdeen area of West End North, where the residents of two streets have exclusive access to 15 acres of mature riverside woodland, and the residents of the Torry community.' The Herald's request reveals that the council has spent £35,384.90 on its defence. Read more: 'Archaic and absurd': Lord Gove's new title slammed by Aberdeen residents 'Cynical vandalism of a questionable legality': Aberdeen Uni cuts slammed Aberdeen council strike threat over 'fire and rehire' proposals All staff made redundant as 50-year-old Aberdeen firm goes bust A third legal challenge could emerge in upcoming months, as the local authority faces criticism over the installation of bus gates in Aberdeen city centre. A group of business owners led by long-time city retailer Norman Esslemont have raised more than £54,000 ahead of a procedural hearing on June 25th. Esslemont wrote in The Press and Journal: 'After months of legal preparation, our day in court is coming. 'We've secured a procedural hearing for June, with the full appeal likely to follow in the autumn. 'And thanks to the strength of our legal team – led by the brilliant Alasdair Sutherland, of Burness Paull – we're more confident than ever that we will prevail.' The council has spent £2,072 on its defence so far, but that number is expected to rise. According to Aberdeen City Council's Access to Information team, 'the figures relate to payments to external legal firms on ACC's framework and separately to Counsel's fees where the Council's officers have instructed Counsel direct. 'These figures include the North East Pension Fund's external Legal advice as ACC is the administering authority for the North East Scotland Pension Fund which provides pensions for employees of Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council and the Moray Council as well as around 50 other public or charitable bodies. 'The figures also include significant reimbursements for outlays (fees and charges) paid by external firms on ACC's behalf including fees to Counsel, the Registers of Scotland, Courts and similar bodies. 'The figures are therefore a mix of legal advice, legal representation and outlays.'
Western Telegraph
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
MSP faces vote to oust her from committee role over comments on gender ruling
The UK's highest court ruled last Wednesday the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 'refer to a biological woman and biological sex'. During a transgender rights rally in Aberdeen, Ms Chapman had condemned what she called the 'bigotry, prejudice and hatred that we see coming from the Supreme Court'. More Stories Ms Chapman's comments prompted an intervention from the Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, Roddy Dunlop KC, who said they were 'appalling' and especially inappropriate given she is the deputy convener of the Scottish Parliament's Equalities Committee. Conservative MSP Tess White has now lodged a motion to remove her from this role, which will be the first item on the agenda when the seven-person committee meets on Tuesday. Tess White described the comments as 'utterly outrageous and totally inexcusable' (Fraser Bremner/Daily Mail/PA) If the motion is supported by the committee it will need to be ratified by the whole Parliament. Ms White's motion will be backed by her Conservative colleague Pam Gosal. Also on the committee are one Labour and three SNP MSPs – including convener Karen Adam who will have the casting vote in the event of a tie. The Tories have indicated they will explore other ways of raising the issue in Parliament if the motion falls. Ms White said: 'Maggie Chapman's comments were utterly outrageous and totally inexcusable for any MSP to make. 'Her position as deputy convener of Holyrood's Equalities Committee is untenable. I urge my fellow MSPs on the committee to do the right thing on Tuesday and back my call to recommend that she be removed from her position. 'MSPs of all persuasions have a duty to respect the rule of law, no matter what they feel about a particular verdict. 'It was shameless that Maggie Chapman described the highest court in the land in these terms and it is little wonder that led to an unprecedented intervention from the Faculty of Advocates.' John Swinney said the comments were 'wrong' (Jeff J Mitchell) First Minister John Swinney has also said Ms Chapman's comments were 'wrong' in that she questioned the independence of the judiciary. On Friday, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar was asked about Ms Chapman's position as deputy convener of the committee. He said: 'Ultimately this is a matter for the committee and for structures of the Parliament. 'But I think there is a broader point here which is people have strong views, and I am perfectly relaxed with people having strong views, people can have big disagreements, that's part of our democracy, part of debates. 'But when we get into the place of attacking the judiciary, attacking law officers, attacking judges, undermining the rule of law and calling people bigoted or racist or sexist based on judgments made on the evidence of the law, I think that takes us down a very, very dangerous route.' Ms Chapman defended her comments when speaking to journalists at Holyrood earlier this week, saying: 'I think what's very, very clear is that in its deliberations leading up to the ruling last week, the Supreme Court didn't speak to a single trans person. 'We have in our justice system, in our court system, the sort of foundational belief that when considering an issue like this, people should hear both sides. 'People should hear the different sides of a debate, of a controversy, of a story. The Supreme Court did not do that.' The Scottish Greens declined to comment on the committee meeting.
Scotsman
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Scotsman
Maggie Chapman to face vote to oust her from Scottish equalities committee after 'bigotry' comments
There have been several calls for the Green MSP to be removed from the committee after accusing the Supreme Court of 'bigotry' Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Greens MSP Maggie Chapman is to face a vote to oust her from a key Holyrood committee after accusing the Supreme Court of 'bigotry' and 'hatred'. The North East Scotland MSP has come under fierce criticism for comments she made at a pro-trans rally where she said the court showed 'bigotry, prejudice and hatred' in its verdict on the legal definition of a woman. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Since then, there have been several calls for her to be removed as the deputy convener of the equalities, human rights and civil justice committee, including from the Faculty of Advocates. Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman has been criticised for accusing the Supreme Court of 'bigotry, prejudice and hatred' (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty) | JeffThis comes after the UK Supreme Court ruled the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex, and said the Scottish Government was 'incorrect' to issue guidance that suggested trans women could be classed as women for some pieces of legislation. Conservative MSP Tess White, who also sits on the committee, has put forward a motion to have Ms Chapman thrown off the group. Her motion is listed as the first item on the agenda for when the committee next meets on Tuesday morning. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The committee is made up of three SNP MSPs, two Conservatives, one Labour, and Ms Chapman from the Scottish Greens. It is understood Ms Chapman will be able to take part in the vote. Earlier this week the dean of the Faculty of Advocates, Roddy Dunlop KC, said Ms Chapman's comments were 'outrageous' and an 'egregious breach' of her duties as an MSP, adding she 'fails to respect the rule of law'. He said: 'These are appalling comments to come from any elected politician. They are all the worse when they come from someone who holds the post of deputy convener of the Scottish Parliament's equalities, human rights and civil justice committee.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad For Women Scotland, who had brought forward the legal case against the Scottish Government, have also said they will be snubbing the committee until Ms Chapman is removed. The group had been asked to provide its reflections on the Supreme Court judgement, but have since said: 'While Maggie Chapman remains on that committee, we cannot see how we can respond.
