Latest news with #RoddyDunlop
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Sheku judge accused of 'torpedoing' his own independence amid private meetings with the victim's family
An inquiry judge has 'torpedoed' his own independence with the 'spectacularly ill-advised' decision to meet with the family of a man who died in police custody, it has been claimed. The Sheku Bayoh Inquiry has been plunged into crisis amid an extraordinary bias row involving chairman Lord Bracadale, who held five private meetings with the family of the 31-year-old after he died being restrained by officers in Kirkcaldy, Fife, nearly a decade ago. The Scottish Police Federation and the officers at the centre of the probe have now demanded Lord Bracadale step down as inquiry chairman. But the retired High Court judge, who chaired a hearing into his own conduct, claimed that Mr Bayoh's family would have 'walked out' had he not met them. The landmark statutory inquiry - which began in November 2020 and is nearing its closing stages - aims to find out whether racism played a part in the death of the father-of-two in 2015. But the future of the chairman is now in doubt with a special two-day hearing which is said to cost around £2million being held in Edinburgh. Roddy Dunlop KC, representing the Scottish Police Federation, told the hearing Lord Bracadale had to go and the meetings he held were 'in almost their entirety completely inappropriate'. The KC added: 'They were doubtless well-meaning, they were doubtless arranged out of the best of intentions, but and with the greatest of respect, they were spectacularly ill-advised and they have torpedoed the independence of the chair.' Lord Bracadale told the inquiry, in a written statement, that the meetings were needed. He said: 'Given the fragility of the confidence of the families in the Inquiry at various stages, I consider that meeting them on an annual basis did contribute to obtaining and retaining their confidence in the Inquiry and securing their evidence. 'I consider that, if I had not had meetings with them, there is a high probability that they would have stopped participating and would have walked out of the Inquiry.'
BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Sheku Bayoh: Hearing to decide whether chair should resign begins
A former judge who is chairing a £50m public inquiry into the death of a man in police custody will hear arguments on Thursday on whether he should step down or see the job Scottish Police Federation has accused Lord Bracadale of holding "secret" meetings with the family of Sheku Bayoh, who died after being restrained by police in Kirkcaldy in organisation which represents rank and file officers believes the five meetings could lead to "perceived bias" and has called for him to "recuse" Bracadale has been leading the inquiry since 2020 and ordered the hearing to allow core participants to make submissions on his conduct. If Lord Bracadale decides to stay in post, the federation has said it will seek a judicial departure and the search for a last minute replacement after five years of work would delay the inquiry's findings by many has already cost the public purse £24.8m, with an additional £24.3m spent by Police Scotland, including £17.3m of legal stage is now set for a robust exchange of legal arguments between senior lawyers. Roddy Dunlop KC, dean of the Faculty of Advocates, will represent the police federation and two of the officers involved in the incident which ended with Mr Bayoh's police federation has said that none of the other core participants were made aware that Lord Bracadale was meeting the family and the details of what was said have not been federation's general secretary David Kennedy has said it has lost confidence in the inquiry because not all core participants were being treated Bayoh family's solicitor Aamer Anwar has described the federation's actions as "a pathetic and desperate attempt to sabotage the inquiry" at the 11th claimed the hearing could cost taxpayers "in excess of a million pounds" in fees for "police lawyers." Competing arguments One of England's top barristers, Jason Beer KC, has been brought in as senior counsel for the inquiry is expected to argue that Lord Bracadale's actions were procedurally appropriate because of the importance of maintaining the family's prosecution service, the Crown Office, will state its position, along with Police Scotland, the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner and the Commission for Racial Equality and representing other police officers involved in the case will also have the opportunity to have their hearing is scheduled to last two days, with Lord Bracadale issuing his decision at a later inquiry has been examining what happened before and during the death of Sheku Bayou, who died in police custody. It has been looking at how the police dealt with the aftermath, the investigation into Mr Bayoh's death and whether race was a of the public called the police after Mr Bayoh was spotted carrying a knife and behaving erratically in the streets of Kirkcaldy on May 3, wasn't carrying the knife when officers arrived at the scene but a violent confrontation followed, with up to six officers restraining the 31-year-old on the father-of-two lost consciousness and later died in hospital.
Scottish Sun
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Legal chiefs blast MSP for attack on Supreme Court judges after ‘women' ruling
They described it as 'irresponsible' and 'reprehensible' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SCOTLAND's top legal briefs have launched a scathing attack on a pro-trans Scottish Green MSP for risking the safety of judges after the Supreme Court case on the definition of a woman. Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, Roddy Dunlop KC, blasted Maggie Chapman after she claimed the ruling showed "bigotry, prejudice and hatred". Sign up for the Politics newsletter Sign up 2 Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman is refusing to apologise for her remarks. Credit: Alamy 2 Dean of the Faculty of Advocates Roddy Dunlop KC. In a letter to the convenor of Holyrood's equalities committee, for which Ms Chapman is deputy, Mr Dunlop accused the MSP of an "egregious breach" of duties relating to upholding the independence of the courts. And he said the attack on judges was worse than the Court of Appeal being branded "enemies of the people" after Brexit or Tory attacks on so-called "activist" lawyers. Mr Dunlop wrote: "They go further than that, and create a risk of danger to the Members of the Court themselves. This behaviour is irresponsible and reprehensible. "Faculty very much regrets having to write this letter. However, Ms Chapman's words have left it with no choice. Her behaviour in this instance is utterly beyond the pale." Ms Chapman, who represents North East Scotland at Holyrood, made the controversial remarks during a speech at a pro-trans rally on Saturday in Aberdeen. In a social media clip, she tells activists: 'We say 'not in our name' to the bigotry, prejudice and hatred that we see coming from the Supreme Court and from so many other institutions in our society. Not in our name, never in our name.' However, despite the backlash and calls for her to stand down from her position on the committee, Ms Chapman has refused to apologise. She told reporters at Holyrood on Tuesday: 'I think one of the really important things in my role as an MSP and as a member of the Equalities Committee is to stand up and represent trans people. 'There are lots of politicians across Scotland who are prepared to represent people who don't think trans people should have the same rights as you or I, I'm prepared to stand up and represent trans people.' In response to the letter from the faculty, Ms Chapman added: 'I'm not going to apologise, I stand by my comments.' The Scottish Green MSP also claimed there has been an 'upswelling of hate, of targeting of trans people' in the past week since the ruling by the Supreme Court. A panel of five judges declared that a "woman" in the Equality Act refers to a 'biological woman and biological sex'. And they criticised SNP ministers for pushing an 'incoherent' interpretation that would leave women's rights worse off. Scottish Tory shadow equalities minister Tess White said: 'This unprecedented intervention from the Faculty of Advocates is a measure of just how appalling and unacceptable Maggie Chapman's comments were. 'Her outrageous attack on the integrity of the highest court in the land and her refusal to accept its legal ruling demonstrate her blind prejudice on gender self-ID and makes her position as deputy convenor of the equalities committee completely untenable.'
