Scotland's Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service ‘too busy to collect details’ of crooked lawyers. Despite the blaze of publicity sought by both the Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill and the Scottish Crime & Drug Enforcement Agency on their joint announcement that over 4000 hardened criminals are roaming Scotland who for now cannot be caught, the Crown Office have revealed an extraordinary gaffe in their own procedures, where apparently there is no information routinely recorded of the previous or present occupations of accused or convicted persons - particularly when it comes to solicitors.
Diary of Injustice reported SCDEA's announcement that 250 crooked lawyers & 3000 criminals were on the loose. The Crown Office's policy on identifying the occupations of criminals compares unfavourably with the Scottish Crime & Drug Enforcement Agency's own investigation methods, who, as I reported on earlier, revealed that around 367 serious crime groups are active in Scotland involving 4,066 people, assisted by over 250 crooked lawyers, accountants and other "specialists" who are giving the criminals professional help.
Crown Office admit they don't gather statistics on how many crooked lawyers are prosecuted. In response to Freedom of Information queries to the Crown Office on the disclosure of statistics engathered relating to charges or prosecutions against members of the legal profession in Scotland, which includes paralegals, solicitors, and anyone working in a solicitor's office, it was disclosed that "The COPFS database has no information routinely recorded indentifying the present (or previous) occupation of accused persons reported for prosecution. We do not extract any information regarding cases in which the accused person is (or was) a solicitor, so do not hold any statistical information which would answer your question."
Solicitor Ian Donnelly convicted of sex offences but if the Crown Office have their way no one will ever find out Donnelly is a lawyer. The Crown Office indicated their database "is an operational database (not a statistical one) which is used to manage the processing of reports submitted to the Procurators Fiscal. The database is designed to meet the Service's business needs in relation to the processing of individual cases and information within it is structured accordingly. While some aggregate statistical information is extracted from the database, this can often be a complex and time -consuming process." It appears to be that its too time consuming an issue for the Crown Office to keep statistics on crooked lawyers, but not too time consuming that they cant hand over figures for other criminals & crimes for Kenny MacAskill to make sweeping announcements on …
You can read another article on some of the Scottish legal profession’s leading lights being charged with criminal offences here : Legal Aid Board 'brought into disrepute' by Legal Services Chief's criminal charges over rent boy scandal
Diary of Injustice reported earlier, the public in England & Wales can find out statistics on criminal records of lawyers but not in Scotland. The apparent lack of an initiative by Scotland’s Crown Office to engather statistics on crooked members of the Scots legal profession has today been condemned by a legal insider as "little more than pandering to Scotland's legal establishment who do not wish to see recordable statistics made available to the public on the criminal records of members of Scotland's legal profession.". However as I reported last month, the public in England & Wales do get a bit more information on the criminal antics of the legal profession in the rest of the UK : Criminal records of lawyers : Scots public kept in dark over convictions while England & Wales get ‘right to know’
Ever wondered why charges are dropped against lawyers and not against others ? – the Crown Office are the last people to tell. A Scottish Government source today admitted there was no appetite to divulge the statistics of prosecutions against members of the legal profession because of ‘Ministerial policies.’ He said : "As you know, it is not Ministerial policy to upset the legal fraternity, and it has been that way for a number of years even before the current administration took office in 2007. If statistics were collected on prosecutions against members of the legal profession, the public might start to wonder why so many criminal cases, some involving serious charges, are disproportionately dropped against lawyers, while there would be no question of not pursuing similarly serious charges to a conviction against ordinary members of the public."
He went on : "However, I fail to see how the Justice Secretary can claim to be tough on crime when he wont even allow the country's prosecution authorities to collect detailed statistics on the likes of prosecutions against members of the legal profession while on the other hand, being able to make grandiose announcements there are literally thousands of criminals and crime gangs roaming Scotland aided & abetted by many in the legal profession, who for varying reasons cannot be caught or identified."
Kenny MacAskill has politicised media releases on justice but remains hush hush on crooked lawyers identities. Coincidentally at the weekend, the former head of the SCDEA Graeme Pearson, appearing in the Sunday Mail newspaper, criticised the SCDEA's 'mapping investigation' announcement as "more a political event than a policing event." criticisms which many agree with, after recent Press releases & media events held by varying public bodies such as the Scottish Legal Aid Board, and Government funded consumer organisations have been in effect taken over for political means by the Justice Department, leading to as one serving Chief Executive yesterday claiming "Our Press Conferences & Press Releases are now little more than political theatre to promote the SNP rather than giving an impartial account of justice issues affecting Scotland".
There is of course, little need to wonder why the Crown Office refuses to keep statistics on the numbers of crooked lawyers prosecuted or sent to jail in Scotland …
The lack of statistics at the Crown Office is simply down to the influence of the legal profession who do not want the public being able to access such detailed information, and, perish the thought we should not be told who exactly are the SCDEA's least recommended solicitors & legal firms who made it to their recent investigation of all things crooked in Scotland, which has now been used mainly for political show by the Justice Secretary, rather than making the determined effort to lock up those who are allegedly the crooks among us ...
The Justice Secretary was asked for comment two weeks ago on his attitude & policy towards criminal prosecutions & criminal records of solicitors in Scotland .. so far, he has not replied …
Its a small thing though, if you consider it, taking a note of someone’s employment, considering that anyone who is charged with a criminal offence, is usually asked what they do, if of course, its not already on some file or Police record somewhere (which it must be, because the SCDEA say so) ... so why deny even the most simplest of tasks, to ensure the public know more about their legal representatives ?
Why must we not be able to know more about our legal representatives in Scotland ? Why the big hush hush Mr MacAskill ? Have you spent too much time defending your colleagues in the legal profession you now cannot see the wood for the trees ?
94 comments:
Sounds like a tall story from the Crown Office.
Oh but we do get to know about rapists & muggers except just not when they also happen to be lawyers !
Cover up once again lads ? How unbecoming of you (considering most of you are lawyers too !)
Ridiculous excuse to put it mildly
You also have a point that when someone is charged they have to give their details (usually including employment).
This information will likely be kept but they just dont want to tell you for obvious reasons but you made a good write up of it anyway.Bravo.
I realise this might sound like asking the obvious but if the SCDEA know the identities of the crooked lawyers then why dont the Crown Office have that kind of info ?
Sounds incredibly fishy to say the least !
Well Peter we must assume all lawyers have criminal convictions, is this a Nazi state?. What kind on prople are in charge of this information? KGB, The Secret Service, astonishing how Kenny MacAskill can call himself a Justice Sceretary.
Scotland's Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service ‘too busy to collect details’ of crooked lawyers.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service are not "too busy", they are clearly cover up criminals. These lawyer bastards have the right people who are sympathisers to their cause in the right places.
A policeman from East Kilbride has been convicted of benefit fraud. These lawyer, MP, MSP bastards are above the law, professional spongers. What the policeman did was wrong, but are these Procurator Fiscal Crown Office bastards fit to judge anyone. I notice charges against these people are always dropped too. The European Court should be doing something about this. I would put them all in front of firing squads, a clear case of knowing the right people in the right places. The decision makers are clearly as corrupt as the lawyers in Scotland.
There is one word which perfectly describes the Crown Office's non-gathering of stats on solicitors.
That word is : "Bollocks" !
MacAskill you are an embarrasment to the Scottish Electorate. I am stopping voting, I see no point in doing so. We are replacing corrupt bastards with more of the same.
MacAskill would fuck the Scottish people in gas chambers before he would expose one of his profession. A filthy low down lawyer that is what he is, like Yelland and the rest of them.
Err, so the powers that be can keep tabs on all criminal records -except those involving members of the legal profession?
Many teachers and those wishing to work with children must now first undergo a Disclosure Scotland search - yet the public are not allowed to know the background of anyone representing them in Court, be they criminal or otherwise.
Time for the Law Society and the Faculty of Advocates to be made to comply with the FOI Act, and time for MacAskill to be sacked.
The policemen from East Kilbride is Robert Chestnutt, he received seven months in jail for fraudulently receiving benefits. This raises the question "Do we have a fair legal system"?
Well Cameron, Clegg, Brown, Salmond, none of your lot will ever be prosecuted, parasite maggots that is what you are, an affront to democracy and a decent society.
Not one of you would have tried to make party political issues out of the expenses scandal. The high court ruling that you had to publish your expenses, forced your hands, politicians are money grabbers, who line their own nests and to hell with their constuents.
The subculture of bent lawyers, Crown Office, prosecuters with the morals of Adolf Hitler will protect our so called democratically elected criminals throughout the United Kingdom. We need a revolution not an election.
"As you know, it is not Ministerial policy to upset the legal fraternity,(THIS STATEMENT IS CRIMINAL IN ITSELF) and it has been that way for a number of years even before the current administration took office in 2007. If statistics were collected on prosecutions against members of the legal profession, the public might start to wonder why so many criminal cases, some involving serious charges, are disproportionately dropped against lawyers, while there would be no question of not pursuing similarly serious charges to a conviction against ordinary members of the public." (WINSTON CHURCHILL TALKED ABOUT THERE BEING "TWO VERSIONS OF THE LAW". WE HAVE A CORRUPT SYSTEM HERE WHERE LAWYER CRIMINALS GO UNPUNISHED AND LAWPERSONS FEEL THE FULL FORCE OF THE LAW). CLEARLY CHURCHILL'S STATEMENT APPLIES TODAY. OUR LEGAL SYSTEM IS RUN BY PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THE LAW SHOULD BE APPLIED BY DISCRIMINATION. HOW CAN VOTERS CHANGE THIS?
The Justice Secretary was asked for comment two weeks ago on his attitude & policy towards criminal prosecutions & criminal records of solicitors in Scotland .. so far, he has not replied …
This is what we expect from a justice secretary for the Law Society.
The lack of statistics at the Crown Office is simply down to the influence of the legal profession who do not want the public being able to access such detailed information.
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No surprise there, criminals that's what lawyers are, criminals, criminals, criminals.
Ever wondered why charges are dropped against lawyers and not against others ? – the Crown Office are the last people to tell. A Scottish Government source today admitted there was no appetite to divulge the statistics of prosecutions against members of the legal profession because of ‘Ministerial policies.’
Why vote, it will change nothing.
Very hard hitting article Peter and I agree we should know all there is to know about lawyers including anyone at the Crown Orifice too.I think you should be in the papers or tv thats for sure!
Could the following be a reason why the Crown Orifice dont want to tell you about criminal cases against crooked lawyers ?
http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2008/03/30/police-breathalyse-procurator-fiscal-suspected-of-being-drunk-in-court-78057-20367607/
Police breathalyse Procurator Fiscal suspected of being drunk in court
Mar 30 2008 By Derek Alexander And Lynn Mcpherson
Trial Halted Over Unfit Prosecutor Police Take Him Away For B-Test
A SEX trial had to be postponed after a prosecutor was accused of being too drunk to work on the case.
Fiscal Jamie McGhee was asked to quit the court case after concerns were raised about his "erratic" behaviour.
He agreed to be breathalysed at a nearby police station when asked if he had been drinking.
After the test McGhee, 51, was refused entry back into the courtroom as his boss, the district procurator fiscal, decided he was unfit to work.
Former advocate McGhee was due to conduct a prosecution at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court against two men accused of indecently assaulting a woman.
McGhee had been hired as £175-a-day ad hoc procurator fiscal to conduct the trial.
But the case was delayed while a replacement was found for McGhee.
The sheriff was forced to tell the jury that the case had been put off while the court located a new fiscal.
The trial was later temporarily deserted - on a legal technicality unconnected with McGhee's alleged misconduct.
He has been removed from their list of approved fiscals and told he won't work for the Crown Office again.
A Crown Office spokesman said: "We have a strict alcohol at work policy, which requests no employee should report for duty under the influence of alcohol or have alcohol on their breath.
"We've been advised of the circumstances of this case and requested a full report from the procurator fiscal at Kilmarnock. We don't intend to instruct the individual concerned again."
Acourt insider said: "People working in the court were worried about McGhee's erratic behaviour.
"He was politely asked to leave the court and return to the fiscal's office. He then agreed to go to the police station for a breathalyser to prove he hadn't been drinking.
"McGhee's been told he'll not work as an ad hoc fiscal again and hasn't been seen since."
McGhee, who lives in the New Farm area of Kilmarnock, qualified as a solicitor at the University of Glasgow.
He recently returned to law as an ad hoc procurator fiscal - lawyers drafted in to do court work when there's a staff shortage.
Last night, McGhee refused to comment. The case is due to be called again on May 12.
People working in the court were worried about McGhee's erratic behaviour
A court insider
Yes a good point if the Police and MacAskill announced they knew about 250 crooked lawyers they must know their names but the Crown Office says no ?
Absolute rubbish.
What about that Advocate who was prosecuted for saying something about a bomb on a plane ? and that twisted creep who wanted sex with a kid and her mum what about him too ?? He must be on the sex offenders list and I bet they have plenty details on that !
Yes very interesting Peter and you certainly know how to write it !
I too do not believe the Crown Office letter.It is as bad as Parliament saying something like "we dont know who among us are claiming on their expenses"!
Please pursue this issue as I would like to read more about it and encourage change in policy to record this kind of information on peoples employment and professions even though from other comments I read it is probably included already.
I think also the person who said about when a person is charged they have to give all their details including what their work is and also you mentioned the announcement on criminal gangs and lawyers so they obviously know who the lawyers are !
What a horrible situation we have got ourselves into in Scotland with these detestable people in charge of the legal world.
The next time you are called for jury service, look at the lawyers and ask yourself these questions,
How many of you have criminal records?
How many of you are morally fit to practice?
Well of course Kenny MacAskill doesn't want to hear statistics on his bent chums being sent to jail for being perverts of fraudsters so thats why there is no information about it officially but I'm sure its written down somewhere so you just have to find out.
Anyway what about this 250 crooked lawyers figure ? Where did the Police come up with that or is it just a figment of their imagination ?
Remember no one could ask about Police with criminal records until FOI came in but now we know there are plenty of convicts in uniform too.What a disgrace.
BBC NEWS
Ex-pathologist 'admits arrogance'
Dr Michael Heath
Dr Heath resigned after his conduct was called into question
A former Home Office pathologist has admitted he was "incredibly arrogant" in wrongly asserting two women were murdered despite opposing evidence.
Dr Michael Heath resigned three years ago after he was strongly criticised for his work on the deaths of Mary Anne Moore and Jacqueline Tindsley.
He now faces a General Medical Council (GMC) hearing in which his fitness to practise medicine is being questioned.
Dr Heath performed hundreds of examinations for high-profile cases.
Mounting evidence
These included an examination on the body of Stuart Lubbock, who was found dead in a swimming pool at the Essex home of TV presenter Michael Barrymore in 2001.
A government disciplinary panel three years ago found that Dr Heath bungled post-mortem examinations on the two women, leading to their partners being tried for murder. (AMOTHER DANGEROUS SO CALLED MEDICAL EXPERT).
It found that in both cases Dr Heath's professional performance fell short of the standards required of forensic pathologists by the secretary of state.
I just carried on going in an arrogant way and that was wrong
Dr Michael Heath. (YES IF INNOCENT PEOPLE ARE BEING CHARGED FOR CRIMS THEY HAVE NOT COMMITTED).
He refused to back down on his view that the two women had been murdered despite mounting evidence to the contrary. (MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS, AS USUAL WITH MEDICAL PEOPLE).
The doctor had been called in to examine Miss Tindsley, 55, whose body was found in her bed at home in Lowestoft, Suffolk, in March 2002.
Her partner, Stephen Puaca, was jailed at Norwich Crown Court later that year for her murder following Dr Heath's evidence that she was asphyxiated.
In November 2005 Mr Puaca's conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal after other pathologists said they believed Miss Tindsley had died from an epileptic seizure.
In the latest hearing before the GMC, Dr Heath admitted his conduct in 2006 was "arrogant" and that he became his "own judge and jury".
Dr Heath said: "At no stage did I seek help. I just carried on going in an arrogant way and that was wrong.
"It was not in the interests of justice and I can see that now. It has taken me some time to get there."
Dr Heath, who now conducts post-mortem examinations on behalf of coroners, told the panel he had "absolutely no intention" of taking on forensic cases again in the future. (THANK CHRIST FOR THAT).
To me it looks like the Crown Office are in competition with MacAskill on who can tell the biggest lie.
Definitely proves to me the Crown Office is rotten to the core and Angiolini is useless as Lord Advocate
Actually I had no idea the COPFS was compliant with FOI but now I know I will be putting in a few questions of my own.
Good work as always Mr Cherbi.You certainly deserve some recognition as Scotland's foremost writer on legal issues.
Did McGhee drive to work under the influence?
"The COPFS database has no information routinely recorded indentifying the present (or previous) occupation of accused persons reported for prosecution.
We do not extract any information regarding cases in which the accused person is (or was) a solicitor, (WE BELIEVE YOU) so do not hold any statistical information which would answer your question."
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Clearly the COPFS are doing what MacAskill is doing, protecting the lawyers, Salmond would have been as well appointing Douglas Mill as Justice Secretary, same thing.
The motive is clear, bad reputations destroy careers, so the COPFS and MacAskill want to protect these bastards no matter what they do to the public.
They do not mind lawyers ripping clients off, taking life's savings, public indecency, money laundering, perhaps they are helping to run the money laundering. Remember those who are unaccountable can do what they want. We are dealing with people who have a lot to lose, and have friends in the right places.
There is injustice everywhere. All peoples are important. We live on a planet with limited resources and infinite demands on those resources. If anything serious goes wrong we have nowhere else to go. We only have spaceship earth.
One day the human race will self destruct, because the vast majority dwell on what they can get, and to hell with everyone else.
Governments act like the lawyers, driven by self interest, invade countries under the banner of protecting us from weapons of mass destruction, to remove a dictator they armed earlier.
All children are important, they must be treated properly, they will make the world better for future generations. Many problems in this world are caused because kids were treated badly. They are the adults of tomorrow. They are the parents of tomorrow.
The churches tell us one day we will all be judged, by the creator and the clergy abuse kids. God has been created by man to control man, paedophile clergy, are as far from decency as people can get. Scandals of this nature, clearly demonstrate that the churches are more about wealth and power, than a creator who will one day judge us all. This false creator, took a rib from Adam to make Eve (The Book of Genesis), because Adam needed a partner. Where have the human race come from then, incest.
The good book only works if you abandon your intellect. We must work together to make the world a better place, but human nature being what it is, somehow I doubt it.
A government disciplinary panel three years ago found that Dr Heath bungled post-mortem examinations on the two women, leading to their partners being tried for murder.
DR HEATH YOU HAVE TOO MUCH DANGEROUS POWER TO GET THIS WRONG. SALLY CLARK, ANITA PATEL, ANGELLA CANNINGS, OTHER CASES WHERE A SO CALLED MEDICAL EXPERT GOT IT WRONG. DO YOU DOCTORS KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING?
BBC NEWS
London's mayor has said he "mistakenly" claimed £16.50 on expenses for a Remembrance Sunday wreath when he was an Oxfordshire MP.
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MP's mistakes always seem to put money in their pockets, not the other way round.
Has the MPs’ expenses row turned you on to politics?
BBC NEWS HAVE YOUR SAY
Almost 50% of people believe at least half of all MPs are corrupt, a BBC survey commissioned in the wake of the expenses scandal suggests. What effect has the row had on you? (I WILL NOT VOTE ANY MORE).
The Ipsos Mori telephone poll of 1,001 adults showed there was strong support among the British public for taking away Parliament's power to police itself.
ALL SELF REGULATORS MUST LOSE THEIR POWER TO POLICE THEMSELVES.
I have read through a small part of your blog this morning Mr Cherbi.
I just want to say I am disgusted with how Scotland has become under not only the SNP but successive political parties who have allowed lawyers and others a free hand against the rest of the population.
If I were able to I would encourage people to rise up against these horrible characters and take back their dignitiy.It is not fair that the government,Macaskill,Salmond or anyone else allow people to be treated this way and it must be stopped even if they want to continue it.
They have a more than capable foe in yourself and probably many other campaigners but you have to do as much as possible now to bring them all down now that people see politics and anyone connected with it as being corrupt.
I hope lots of people join your cause and take back your lives from these horrible characters of the world of law.
Parliament in peril
BBC NEWS Mark Easton | 11:35 AM, Tuesday, 2 June 2009
It is a toxic cocktail. As thousands of people lose their jobs each week in Britain, the vast majority of voters think that the country's MPs are on the make, milking the system for their own gain, putting self-interest ahead of the country, of constituents - even of their own party.
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Self regulation should be considered a CRIMINAL OFFENCE.
FROM THE NAME AND SHAME SCOTLAND WEBSITE
Name and Shame Scotland is a website set up to try and improve the services of professional bodies in Scotland.
If you have encountered a rogue Doctor, Politician etcetera, you will no doubt know there is practically nothing you can do to expose these people.
Being able to list these people on this website should eventually lead to higher standards. Any professional person failing to do their job properly can now be exposed.
Until now, there has been little incentive for professional people to maintain standards. The current complaint procedures are difficult to follow and rarely lead to any real investigation or disciplinary action. How many people have stated after an investigation, it was more like a cover up operation.
Many of these people are in positions where they can basically break the law knowing it is almost impossible for anyone to do anything about it. (CORRECT).
Loopholes in the law allow them to get away with things no ordinary citizen could. Professional people deliberately withholding court evidence, or giving false evidence, is something that seems now to be accepted by many courts and solicitors. (BECAUSE THEY ARE CRIMINALS).
Professional people now seem reluctant to accuse fellow professionals of breaking the law. There seems to be a code of conduct similar to honour amongst thieves.
VISIT NAME AND SHAME SCOTLAND FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Good work Peter although I too had asked the Crown Office awhile back for information via FOI and they refused.
I will now press the case for full disclosure now I've read what you wrote about convictions of solicitors.
Your blog is just GREAT and I just want to agree with others who say your stuff should be in the newspapers as much as possible.
Great work keep it up.
Sickening isnt it and only sick people would defend the secrecy that stops us from knowing lawyers criminal records.
If we have to trust them with our legal stuff they have to disclose what they have been up to just like politicians will have to disclose a hell of a lot more of what they are up to behind our backs .
Mr Cherbi,
Can you please explain how people can name and shame lawyers. without risking being taken to court for defamation?
In Scotland, trying to get a lawyer to sue a lawyer, is impossible, and even though the Law Society of Scotland in latter years brought in a "Pursuers Panel" .. it is simply a fake.
-----------------------------------
Peter the above is from one of your earlier articles. I phoned someone at the Persuers Panel, I am sure it was, and the guy told me "I cannot help you" when I told him I was solicitor barred. In Scotland, trying to get a lawyer to sue a lawyer, is impossible, I went round every law firm in Hamilton and none of them wanted to know.
Our system is bent beyond belief, and it makes me furious because I know what my lawyer did. So do the other lawyers I went to, it is a brotherhood, and that's fine if they are riding motorcycles, but is unjust in law where it affects people's lives. The lawyers are lucky. I would gas, or machine gun the lot of them and watch each of them die. That's the great debt I owe MacAskill and his club. Call me ruthless you lawyers, I had good teachers.
Costelloe Baker caused a stir by reminding MSPs and the public in her annual report of the hopeless predicament faced by hundreds of Scots mis-sold an endowment policy by a solicitor.
PEOPLE OF SCOTLAND--LAWYERS WANT TO KEEP INVESTIGATING (ANOTHER WORD FOR COVERING THINGS UP) COMPLAINTS ABOUT YOUR LAWYER TO PROTECT HIS REPUTATION. THIS IS NOTHING SHORT OF CRIMINAL AND IT MEANS THAT EVERY SOLICITOR IN SCOTLAND CAN DO ANYTHING TO YOU, PERHAPS EVEN MURDER AND GET AWAY WITH IT. I HAVE NEVER HATED A GROUP OF PEOPLE SO MUCH IN MY LIFE. TEFLON CRIMINALS FROM LAW SCHOOL TO THE CEMETARY.
THE SCOTTISH LEGAL COMPLAINTS COMMISSION (A LOT OF CORRUPT BASTARDS).
ABOUT THE SLCC: What We Do
Our powers and functions
Simply put, the job of the SLCC is to receive complaints about the service received from a legal practitioner, and decide whether to investigate those (COVER UP AND PROTECT YOUR LAWYER) complaints.
Although the 2007 Act encourages practices and practitioners to try and solve the grievance themselves, where that is not possible the SLCC aims to provide an easily accessible and effective dispute investigation and resolution service (FAT CHANCE).
Whilst the Law Society of Scotland or The Faculty of Advocates will still deal with matters of professional misconduct (GOD HELP CLIENTS) or unsatisfactory conduct, the SLCC will oversee how such conduct complaints are investigated and prosecuted.(BULLSHIT) Therefore, the SLCC has an important role to play in influencing the conduct processes, including the powers to audit and recommend changes.
The SLCC aims to be of service to both the public and the profession. (DO NOT CONCERN YOURSELVES LAWYERS, WE WILL PROTECT YOU). It has an additional responsibility to share best practice, monitor trends, and highlight areas of concern. (LAWYERS INVOLVED IN THE COMMISSION). It is also committed to exploring the use of mediation to resolve disputes between practitioners and their clients, and has launched a mediation scheme to explore its potential effectiveness. (LIKE NHS LOCAL RESOLUTION A SCAM FOR PROTECTING DOCTORS).
It is hoped that, in the right circumstances, mediation will prove to be a relatively quick and successful method of resolving complaints. (DO NOT TRUST THE SCOTTISH LEGAL COMPLAINTS COMMISSION). THEY ARE MACASKILLS FRIENDS THERE TO PROTECT THE SCUM THAT CAN LEGALLY RUIN LIVES.
I dont believe a word of the letter from the Crown Office.
Donnelly and that lawyer who recently put cameras in a ladies bathroom will both probably be on the Sex Offenders Register which records just about everything there is to know about a person - so there will without a doubt be lawyers on the Sex Offenders Register which the Crown Office and Police will know all about,evidence enough the Crown Office are lying.
Imagine if it turns out there are say 20 or more lawyers or former lawyers on the Sex Offenders Register.What will people think of that I wonder ? and I imagine you could make a kicker of a story out of it !
FROM THE MAIL ONLINE
(IF THIS GUY DEFRAUDED A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PROSECUTED).
Crooked accountant spent 'missing' £700,000 funding luxury lifestyle
When Geoffrey Turner married a colleague, his employers generously decided to give them the perfect send-off.
The company splashed out on a champagne reception before the accountant and his bride flew out to a sun-drenched honeymoon in the Caribbean.
But the mood had darkened by time he returned.
'Corrupt and deceitful': Geoffrey Turner was on the run for five years
Turner was met by police at Gatwick after his bosses discovered a £700,000 black hole in their finances during his absence.
An investigation revealed the once-trusted Turner was using the money to fund a life of luxury as well as to set up a business run by a woman he had an affair with.
Before he could be brought to book, Turner went on the run for five years, using a false identity to evade detection.
Yesterday, however, justice finally caught up with him. The 58-year-old was jailed for five and a half years for defrauding the firm and another he later worked for.
He admitted 53 charges including false accounting, obtaining money by deception, theft and forgery.
Reading Crown Court heard that Turner joined marketing firm Market Penetration Services International and its sister company Business to Business Internet International, based in High Wycombe, in 1997 and was in charge of running all finances.
But between 1998 and 2001, he signed 271 cheques worth thousands of pounds in his bosses' or other employees' names and channelled them into his own accounts.
Turner, who lived in the affluent commuter town of Blackwater, Hampshire, used some of the money to help his "mistress", Marie Revill, set up an antiques business.
He later dumped her and married account manager Heather Leppard in 2001.
Both were arrested at Gatwick when they returned from St Lucia on June 25 and a raid on their home unearthed evidence of Turner's fraudulent activity.
Prosecutor John Causer said Turner had signed cheques for bogus "building refurbishments", committed pension fund offences and illegally arranged a money transfer.
Some of the offences involved a waste drainage firm called Netherton's - which Turner moved to after his arrest. He later adopted owner Chris Netherton's identity and moved to Sudbury, Suffolk, where he did drainage and roof repairs.
But he was caught earlier this year when an unhappy customer looked up the name on the Internet.
The customer unwittingly contacted the real Chris Netherton, who recognised the description and contacted police.
The fraud charges Turner admitted in court amounted to £150,000. Another 25 charges were dropped.
Judge Gordon Risius called Turner "thoroughly corrupt and deceitful", adding that he had "seriously breached" his employers' trust and "almost bankrupted" them.
The court heard Turner has a string of fraud and theft convictions dating back to 1970. In 1991, he was was jailed for two and a half years after vanishing with £17,000 from a dishonest deal.
Turner drove to Gatwick and posted a note and keys to a company employee, suggesting he had fled the country. In fact, he moved to Oxfordshire under a false identity.
He was caught when players at Witney Town FC, where he was an official, recognised a photo of him on the TV show Crimewatch.
Yesterday, Michael Libra, the 62-year-old retired group chairman of MPS, said he had estimated the total cost to the firm at £700,000.
He added: "Turner is a professional conman, an habitual criminal. He will be on the rampage again once he is out.
"In 1998, we had two very profitable, very strong companies. We had a credit rating within our industry which was second to none.
"By the time Mr Turner had finished with one of our companies we would not have been able to order a box of matches."
There are many professional criminals in our country, lawyers, doctors, accountants, politicians, procurator fiscal's, who seldom get prosecuted when they are caught red handed.
How can a legal system which is so favourable to a minority of professions, have any international credibility, especially with the internet where information can flow freely around the world?
Any system that wants to protect professionals reputations when some of them will have criminal records, is a corrupt system.
The Crown Office are the same as the Law Society, and must not be trusted.
Conman Cons Lawyer.
Lawyer Cameron Fyfe also invested in Coia's business. Cameron lost his money, as the saying goes Cameron, what goes around comes around. Poetic justice. It could not happen to a nicer fellow.
Thanks for all your comments on this article.
I can only say I agree with all of you.
The general feeling among you is that the Crown Office are not telling the truth on the matter of recorded crime statistics relating specifically in this case to members of the legal profession.
I share that feeling, given the evidence at hand, and some particularly interesting information which has come my way in the past day and will be publicised in the near future.
Of course, one very interesting fact may shed some light on the apparent lack of statistics of crooked lawyers and their criminal convictions ... that fact being that all Procurators Fiscal are members of the Law Society of Scotland - the same Law Society of Scotland who are themselves unaccountable, non compliant with Freedom of Information, and are willing to use any branch of the law, including Scotland's prosecuting authorities to beat down clients who dare complain against their solicitors.
Complain against a lawyer, and indeed, sometimes, you may happen to receive a knock on the door from the Police. I've talked to many people who this has happened to, with the 'crooked lawyer' or seemingly even someone at the Law Society, using their connections with the Police or Crown Office to harass clients who have dared to make a complaint against their lawyer after discovering he/she was ripping them off.
# Anonymous @ 4.30pm asks how can someone name & shame a crooked lawyer without fear of defamation proceedings.
Well, obtaining media coverage of the case in question is a start ... and there are a few tabloids who are willing to go after crooked lawyers.
If you have the necessary evidence the lawyer is crooked, then make sure you raise a complaint against them, then publish everything you have, including all letters received from either the Law Society of Scotland or the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission.
I suppose one cannot guarantee a lawyer will not sue someone for defamation, but if the person doing the naming & shaming has concrete evidence, then I would recommend to publish it all as soon as possible, and if the lawyer then feels like taking you to court, then its a good way to ensure you are going to get media coverage, and make sure you cite witnesses from the Law Society and SLCC for your case ... which I'm sure will in turn ensure any proceedings the lawyer may bring due to his naming & shaming, will quickly fall apart.
Simply, I cant see the SLCC bosses or the likes of Mr Yelland and his colleagues from the Law Society sitting easy in a court having to discuss their colleagues disgraces ...
Back to the topic of the article ... one final point to note ... the Crown Office, is of course, self regulating, just like the Law Society of Scotland ... so little wonder there is 'reluctance' at least, to inform Scots just who among their colleagues in the legal profession, are criminals ...
Excellent reply Peter.
It just proves self regulation has to end throughout the legal profession and now you say that Fiscals are members of the Law Society of Scotland I would bet there is some pretty strong evidence they go soft on their colleagues when one is up on criminal charges hence the no stats collected (which just has to be a lie).
Simply, I cant see the SLCC bosses or the likes of Mr Yelland and his colleagues from the Law Society sitting easy in a court having to discuss their colleagues disgraces ...
Thats right Peter, the publicity would bring forth many other victims who had dealt with these crooks. Many people would point out to the press how Mr Yelland deals with complaints against the legal profession.
It is indeed perverse that officers of the law, are treated favourably as compared with members of the public. One only has to look at the number of lawyers who have charges dropped on serious matters. In truth, the authorities are undermining the profession themselves by showing bias toward legal practitioners.
Fiscals being members of the Law Society. It seems that organisation controls everything, no wonder many cases like Haggarty's never go to court. The Law Society and SLCC have as much credibility as Mr MacAskill anyway.
The fact that I have never heard any law firm taking an ex client to court shows the lawyers do not rate their chances. Great Blog, look forward to your next article.
JOHN GERARD O'DONNELL SSDT FINDINGS
Edinburgh 16 January 2008. The Tribunal having considered the Complaints dated 18 June and 21 June 2007 at the instance of the Council of the Law Society of Scotland against John Gerard O’Donnell, Solicitor, 15 Clarkston Road, Glasgow; Find the Respondent guilty of Professional Misconduct in cumulo in respect of his repeated failure between 14 July 2000 and 22 March 2007 to settle Counsel’s fees, his delay and/or failure to record heritable deeds with the Registers of Scotland on behalf of his clients, his breach of rules 6, 8 and 24 of the Solicitors (Scotland) Accounts etc Funds Rules 2001 and his unreasonable delay in responding to the reasonable enquiries of the Complainers; Censure the Respondent; Fine him in the sum of £500 to be forfeit to Her Majesty and Direct in terms of Section 53(5) of the Solicitors (Scotland) Act 1980 that the Respondent’s practising certificate be subject to a condition that the books and records of the Respondent’s practice be inspected by the Council of the Law Society of Scotland no later than 30 June 2008 and thereafter at nine monthly intervals on two further occasions, the last of which to take place no later than 31 December 2009, all such inspections to be at the expense of the Respondent; Find the Respondent liable in the expenses of the Complainers and in the expenses of the Tribunal as the same may be taxed by the auditor of the Court of Session on an agent and client indemnity basis in terms of Chapter Three of the last published Law Society’s Table of Fees for general business with a unit rate of £11.85; and Direct that publicity will be given to this decision and that this publicity should include the name of the Respondent.
The policemen from East Kilbride is Robert Chestnutt, he received seven months in jail for fraudulently receiving benefits. This raises the question "Do we have a fair legal system"? I think not.
-------------------------------------
Lawyers submit false legal aid accounts, steal clients life savings, pay for gay sex in public toilets, give clients drugs in prison, pay drug addicts £5.00 to sign legal aid forms, the lawyer got £80.00 for this, procurator fiscals off the hook, air rage charges dropped, lawyer with 12 negligence claims fined a paltry sum and allowed to keep practicing, one lawyer called Danskin abused young boys (one committed suicide), he go a paltry sentence but his blackmailers got ten years each. This is the tip of a vile corrupt iceberg. These crimes are worse than what policemen Robert Chestnutt did, so the police are persecuted too.
They make an example of Robert to deter others, and use their despotic power to protect lawyer criminals within their ranks. To say there is a pattern above is an understatement, our legal system is run by criminals who protect other criminals within their ranks. The law officers do not apply the law to themselves, the Crown Office Procurator Service is clearly as bent as the Law Society and Scottish Legal Complaints Commission.
A shocking despotic state of affairs, where the culture of the system is to protect the legal establishment at all costs.
Legal aid to lawyers is the same as MP's expenses, the gravy train, help yourself because you will never end up in court.
A good way of lining the pockets at the taxpayers expense. No wonder the MP's wanted this kept quiet, and all you lawyers out there, you are filthy scum with low life morals. I always have a few beers when a lawyer is killed in an accident. Legalised riff raff.
# Anonymous @ 4.30pm asks how can someone name & shame a crooked lawyer without fear of defamation proceedings.
Well, obtaining media coverage of the case in question is a start ... and there are a few tabloids who are willing to go after crooked lawyers.
If you have the necessary evidence the lawyer is crooked, then make sure you raise a complaint against them, then publish everything you have, including all letters received from either the Law Society of Scotland or the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission.
I suppose one cannot guarantee a lawyer will not sue someone for defamation, but if the person doing the naming & shaming has concrete evidence,
Correct Peter, my doctor could not take me to court because the letters I had from reporting him condemned him. That's when NHS Primary Care stood by him because they knew he was guilty of distorting my medical records.
But his union wanted everything hushed up, and threatened legal action but never took it. It was a scare tactic because they knew they could not win in court.
All of the patients now know what was going on. You professionals who lie on paper beware, people outside your profession are a lot smarter that you would give them credit for.
The medical defence union also had a GP working for them who was an ex partner of my doctor, how would that look in court? Just what you said Peter, they sit on each other's committees to ensure their victims never obtain justice no matter how serious the victims consequences.
You may well be correct Mr Cherbi.
I have commented on your stuff before but I never told you what happened after my lawyer was told by the Law Society I had made a complaint against him.
The next week I had a visit from 8 Police Officers with a search warrant (that I have still never been able to see) after someone had told them I was selling fake passports from my garage.
The officers looked a little embarrassed when I opened the door,almost as if they knew the whole thing was false.Anyway they came in,searched the place,found nothing and then the youngest PC said out loud "This is bloody ridiculous" and was then told to wait outside.
The Sergeant (I have all their details) apologised to me and said "they had been given wrong information" and left.I complained to the Chief Constable and got nowhere and recently because my lawyer has sacked some of his staff I found out it was him (which I had surmised at the time).
Do you think I should put in a complaint to Kenny MacAskill that his friends in the legal profession are providing the Police with false evidence ? Do you think the man will do anything about it ? because the Law Society have done nothing about it.
I am sick to death of the whole thing but I have kept all the papers and letters I accumulated over it and would really like them published because it is now clear to me from reading your website and many others the Police are being used by crooked lawyers against a client they are stealing from.
Any suggestions appreciated !
Back to the topic of the article ... one final point to note ... the Crown Office, is of course, self regulating, just like the Law Society of Scotland ... so little wonder there is 'reluctance' at least, to inform Scots just who among their colleagues in the legal profession, are criminals ...
Yes self regulators = self protectors.
Dishonest lawyers will not go to court if they know the media are involved. Chances are they have left a string of ex clients all treated that same corrupt way.
Family doctors always distort patients medical records when money is involved. This is a fact of life.
BBC NEWS
Osteopath denies patient assaults
An osteopath has appeared in court accused of sexually assaulting 10 male patients.
Keith Grieve, 57, is accused of molesting the men over an 11-year period at various medical practices in the Highlands.
He appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court facing a total of 10 charges.
The charges allege he removed the men's underwear without their permission and molested them. Mr Grieve, from Inverness, denies all the charges.
He is accused of carrying out an assault against a man on various occasions between 1996 and 2000 at Bridgend Dental Practice in Thurso, Caithness.
Mr Grieve is also accused of carrying out two further alleged attacks at Maslin House in Inverness between 2001 and 2002.
The remaining seven charges allege that he carried out sexual assaults at Highland Osteopathic Centre based at Ardross Street in Inverness, between 2005 and 2007.
A notional trial date was set for 10 July.
Get a law degree and the state will protect you.
The state is making a mockery of the legal system, the public know lawyers are licenced criminals.
Imagine if the public could do what they wanted with little chance of ending up in court. Members on the public you can. Just get the entry qualifications for law school, medical school. accountancy and by and large you can do what you want. These self regulating self protecting professions can lie on official documents and the courts accept them. Charges against these professions are usually dropped. Good thing the press are free, because if the professionals controlled them all professionals would be sqeaky clean.
The next time I go to vote, I will spoil my paper and write, "No legal rights due to self regulation". Voting will not change this, but I will protest.
Do you think I should put in a complaint to Kenny MacAskill that his friends in the legal profession are providing the Police with false evidence ? Do you think the man will do anything about it ? because the Law Society have done nothing about it.
I am sick to death of the whole thing but I have kept all the papers and letters I accumulated over it and would really like them published because it is now clear to me from reading your website and many others the Police are being used by crooked lawyers against a client they are stealing from.
Any suggestions appreciated ! Brilliant you have kept your documents, this is vital as I keep stressing to people.
These lawyers are getting a hammering, but if senior officers are sending the police to investigate people who complain about their lawyer, those senior officers should face charges and kicked out of the force.
Regarding the police being embarrased I can believe this, because I think most of them are fair decent individuals who do a better job than the crooked lawyers we are fighting. Sure they are some bad ones but a lot less than lawyers, they are all bad.
Any suggestions appreciated !
2:12 PM
I do not believe Kenny MacAskill will help you, not if a lawyer will be exposed as corrupt. Better to publish your documents.
He is like the crooks in the Law Society/SLCC, his remit is lawyer saving nothing else. Justice Secretary is a label to him, he is not fit to hold this office.
It strikes me the root of all these problems is that the Law Society of Scotland "exists".If you do something about that all these other dishonest organisations will probably end up falling away or falling apart.
The quicker that effective protests & campaigns are made to put the Law Society in its place seems the only route worth going for to me.
Oh an I just also want to say - crooked lawyers using Police to cover their rears ?
Well who would [NOT] be surprised at that one !
If the Police had a search warrant they probably got that from a Procurator Fiscal from the Crown Office who sounds like he/she was more than willing to help his crooked colleague in the legal world cover up whatever had been done ! (again another non-surprise to me)
Very interesting this posting of yours Mr Cherbi and I do think the prosecuting authorities in Scotland have to be 'whiter than white' if they are to do their job as advertised.
I was doing some checking tonight online and came upon this :
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/4986462.stm
Fiscal indecency charge dropped
The case against a prosecutor allegedly caught with a prostitute has been dropped because "it was not in the public interest" to proceed to trial.
Stuart MacFarlane, 37, a principal procurator fiscal depute in Glasgow, was arrested after a police function.
He faced indecency and resisting arrest charges and resigned from the Crown Office earlier this month.
Glasgow Sheriff Court heard the case would not proceed after "changes to his situation and medical reports".
It was alleged that Mr MacFarlane and Joanna Crane, 27, had been caught by police while she was performing a sex act on him.
The offences were alleged to have taken place in Bothwell Street on 29 October.
David Spiers, procurator fiscal at Hamilton, told Glasgow Sheriff Court: "Mr MacFarlane's lawyer has advised of changes in his situation.
"Considering this and specialist medical reports it would not be in the public interest to proceed further with this case."
The charge against Ms Crane was also dropped.
She had pleaded not guilty to committing an offence of public indecency by engaging in a sexual act in a public place.
Mr McFarlane, who lives near Eaglesham, had not tendered a plea.
Fiscal indecency charge dropped
The case against a prosecutor allegedly caught with a prostitute has been dropped because "it was not in the public interest" to proceed to trial.
BULLSHIT, IT IS NOT IN THE LEGAL ESTABLISHMENT'S INTEREST, TWO TIER JUSTICE IN ACTION.
Stuart MacFarlane, 37, a principal procurator fiscal depute in Glasgow, was arrested after a police function.
-------------------------------------
Innocent people do not resign. He should have been prosecuted to show the public justice is applied fairly.
Glasgow Sheriff Court heard the case would not proceed after "changes to his situation and medical reports".
David Spiers, procurator fiscal at Hamilton you lot really do look after each other. I would be surprised if the medical reports ever existed, Macfarlane like Haggarty is above the law, a protection racket for legal professionals.
Basically you people have a licence to do what you want.
Injustice Scotland is the reality, as the evidence shows time after time. A disgrace.
8.22pm :
"It strikes me the root of all these problems is that the Law Society of Scotland "exists".If you do something about that all these other dishonest organisations will probably end up falling away or falling apart.
The quicker that effective protests & campaigns are made to put the Law Society in its place seems the only route worth going for to me."
Exactly.It is the Law Society who hold all these organisations together because like the Crown Office they are all members of the Law Society and other old boys clubs.
David Spiers, procurator fiscal at Hamilton, told Glasgow Sheriff Court: "Mr MacFarlane's lawyer has advised of changes in his situation.
"Considering this and specialist medical reports it would not be in the public interest to proceed further with this case." (IN WOULD NOT BE IN THE LEGAL ESTABLISHMENTS INTEREST TO PROCEED FURTHER WITH THE CASE, THAT IS WHAT HAMILTON PROCURATOR FISCAL DAVID SPIERS MEANT. THIS CASE WAS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST BECAUSE BY PROCEEDING THE LEGAL SYSTEM WOULD BE FAIRER, CLEARLY THE JUDICIARY DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF THE SYSTEM. iF MR SPIERS WAS CAUGHT IN THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES WE CAN BE SURE THE CASE WOULD NOT PROCEED FURTHER, A CASE OF LAW OFFICERS LOOKING AFTER LAW OFFICERS. A CRIMINAL SET UP, THAT IS ALL IT IS).
The charge against Ms Crane was also dropped. (THESE CHARGES WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DROPPED IF MR McFARLANE WAS A FACTORY WORKED, A BENT SYSTEM. THE LEGAL CLUB CERTAINLY LOOK AFTER THEIR OWN).
SCOTTISH LAW REPORTER
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Scottish Parliament MSPs 'as crooked Westminster' claimed expenses for funeral wreaths.
-----------------------------------
£70,000.00 salaries per annum and they claim the taxpayer for wreaths, in memory of those who fell in two world wars. MSP's what are they, gold digging SCUM.
No wonder people have no faith in politicians, it is getting to the stage there is little point in voting. Do you people out there think it will change anything?
When a layperson is charged with an offence they are tried by the Criminal Justice System.
When a lawyer is charged with an offence they are on many occasions saved from trial by the Criminal Support System. Clearly lawyers know they can do what they want because the support system will save their bacon.
They and the decision makers who decide if the case goes to court, are condemned in the Court of Public Opinion.
Fiscal indecency charge dropped.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We live in a society where lawyers protect other lawyers and make a mockery of our so called justice system.
All you have to do is obtain a suitable degree and employment and you can do as you please. Again and again we see that self regulators do as they please, with impunity. Take Mr Mcfarlane's case, innocent people do not resign, they stand and fight. Why, because they have right on their side.
Clearly the evidence in Mr McFarlane's case must have been overwhelming. He must have contacts in the right places, that is why there were no court proceedings. In my opinion the decision makers should be charged and prosecuted with him. the legal club look after their own.
The churches tell us one day we will all be judged, by the creator and the clergy abuse kids. Clearly the clergy do not believe he is there because they would be damned. God has been created by man to control man, paedophile clergy, are as far from decency as people can get.
Scandals of this nature, clearly demonstrate that the churches are more about wealth and power, than a creator who will one day judge us all. This false creator, took a rib from Adam to make Eve (The Book of Genesis), because Adam needed a partner. Where have the human race come from then, incest?
The churches are like the legal establishment, close scrutiny of the evidence in the good book, points to contradictions and bizzare hypotheses. If no one existed except Adam and Eve (according to the book of Genesis), their children must have started the human race. Barking mad if you ask me. But this story of a creator keeps clergy earning a good living, a good motivator for all those sermons. Personally I will stick with Darwin, because evolution is the reality. End of sermon.
Is Stuart MacFarlane still a PF ? If so that about wraps it up for the Crown Office.They are corrupt
How about bankers too ?
Remember Freddy Goodwin the banker who had no banking qualifications but did have an LLB and went on to ruin the whole f*king country with his RBS failure ?
Now sitting pretty in a not-so-secret mansion in France.
http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2009/06/14/shamed-banker-fred-goodwin-hides-out-in-4m-villa-in-south-of-france-78057-21439779/
Shamed banker Fred Goodwin hides out in £4m villa in south of France
Jun 14 2009
SHAMED banker Sir Fred Goodwin is hiding out in a £4million villa in the south of France.
The former RBS boss fled Scotland four months ago after costing taxpayers £20billion to bail out his stricken bank.
He has not been seen in public since but has now been tracked down hiding out in a luxury private estate on the Riviera.
And neighbours say he is never coming back to Britain.
His lifestyle in the five-star villa complete with pool and tennis courts is funded with a £703,000 pension.
He refused to give a penny back despite public fury at the massive pay-off.
His wife Joyce, 49, and two children have joined the 50-year-old banker in his gilt-edged exile.
He resigned in disgrace then left his Edinburgh home after RBS lost £24billion - the biggest corporate losses ever recorded by a British firm. Windows at his home were smashed and he was reportedly worried for the safety of his children.
Goodwin - nicknamed Fred the Shred after cutting thousands of jobs - was blamed for a gung-ho management style.
He even demanded every note issued by RBS cash machines had his signature.
The Government finally bailed out the bank with a multi-million pound rescue package leaving taxpayers owning 70 per cent..
Self Regulators are the architects of injustice by protecting the professional reputations of the guilty, at the expense of their victims. This situation ensures the latter have no human rights of access to justice.
A fundamental review of the House of Commons allowances system could report to MPs as early as October, the chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life Sir Christopher Kelly said.
Well Christopher, I did not think we had standards in public life? We will not have any prosecutions, I am certain of that.
MP's should have a site full of Portacabins near the commons, like construction workers use. After all they are always telling us about cuts needed in Public Expenditure.
Hi
I have been reading your blog tonight along with the comments and would offer some thoughts.
People are feeling so frustated with the situation that no reform ever happens and these crooked lawyers get away with everything.
I think as people point out doing something about the Law Society is the key to getting some change for better because its the Law Society that controls many if not all platforms of law and justice bodies in Scotland (all are members of the Law Society) and this crown office is the same.
How about business boycott of firms where crooked lawyers are named ?
People should distribute leaflets outside their doors and tell everyone how bad they really are.
How about pictures of these lawyers and where they work or live to be published ?
Its an idea that you all should do.
Their lifestyles published houses cars business everything just like the politicians in London and then its coverage will help bring them down.
Its terrible when lawyers are so crooked they abuse law and trust so be it they must suffer what they do to others.
David Spiers, procurator fiscal at Hamilton, told Glasgow Sheriff Court: "Mr MacFarlane's lawyer has advised of changes in his situation.
At least Mr McFarlane had a lawyer unlike the victims of crooked lawyers who are barred by lawyers from justice.
I was reading your Lockerbie Ruling on Disclosure Mr Cherbi, you said
"It boils down to this - If the Lord Advocate gains the power to strip a defendant's lawyers in favour of Crown "vetted" or appointed legal agents, any defendant in a case subsequently before the court in a criminal matter could face the possibility to lose their legal team simply on the basis that issues contained in their case are not in the public or Crown's interest to be examined with any regard to a person's right to a fair hearing and once that power is granted, it is there to be used any time, as the Lord Advocate feels applicable".
-----------------------------------
No chance, the Crown could steer a case any way they wanted, and at any time they wanted, a dangerous precident. A way simply of undermining a defendents rights, the latter would be fighting the crown acting for the prosecution and the defence. A bit like civil litigation where everyone except the persuer is insured by the same company.
Thanks for all your continued comments on this article.
I certainly agree with those suggesting it that the way to cure some, or many of the problems involving persons being denied access to justice, is to curb the power the Law Society of Scotland has over all areas of the Scottish legal system.
As things currently stand, it is the legal profession who allow individuals into court purely for making money, either from legal aid or soaking the client for extortionate fees, the result of the case while being important to the client, has relevance only to the solicitor for continued profit.
However, if the legal profession do not consider it is in their best interests your case proceed, or indeed that you have any access to legal services, you will find yourselves blacklisted by the legal profession, with little or no hope of access to justice.
I noted some comments regarding the use of Police by solicitors who find themselves the subject of client complaints.
This behaviour is worryingly quite common, where a lawyer, usually in a small community, will use his local connections, even with local officers, or even the local authority, to make life as miserable as possible for the client who has dared raise issues of complaint with the Law Society. I know all about this as I have been through it myself after I made complaints against the lawyer and accountant who ruined my family's legal affairs.
Many more people have come to me over the years and reported similar incidents, so take heart anyone suffering such persecution on behalf of a 'crooked lawyer' .. you are not alone.
It all comes down to publicising the issues as much as possible, effective campaigning, and dogged determination in pursuing cases .. which I certainly agree should be encouraged to ensure that everyone has access to justice in Scotland, no matter what some in the legal profession, and Government might think.
Yep Peter,maybe but I think everyone should now take back justice for themselves instead of letting this band of crooks run the show.If public anger can get rid of some crooks at westminster we can do the same against these crooked lawyers
I agree Peter I think the time for action is now and something must be done about these crooked legal thugs who are using the law to escape penalty
As things currently stand, it is the legal profession who allow individuals into court purely for making money, either from legal aid or soaking the client for extortionate fees, the result of the case while being important to the client, has relevance only to the solicitor for continued profit.
Yes Peter, profit is all they care about, and they get paid anyway so they do not need to try very hard.
I am beginning to agree that no area of law in Scotland is worth any trust now.
I walked past the Procurator Fiscal's office which shares the same building as the Jobcentre. I was going to sign on for my benefits as I am one of the casualties of this recession.
I thought what a bunch of Law Society crooks work in there. The Crown Office are covering things up, there is plenty of evidence of dishonest lawyers, in the media.
I wonder how long they would take to apprehend a lawyer who was a serial killer?
One lawyer told me the legal system was "not for prosecuting lawyers". I knew then with attitudes like this we must fight harder.
BBC NEWS
GPs 'may not work amid pandemic'
By Nick Triggle
Health reporter, BBC News
GPs are not covered by the same insurance as hospital doctors.
Some GPs may refuse to work if the swine flu pandemic spreads throughout the UK, union leaders have warned.
The British Medical Association said family doctors were worried about being sued (WOULD PATIENTS BE ABLE TO GET LAWYERS) over the care they provided and a lack of death-in-service cover.
The BMA said doctors would be "putting their lives on the line" and needed assurances they were properly covered.
NHS Employers, which negotiates GPs' contracts, said it was trying to resolve the death-in-service issue.
Talks are ongoing between the BMA and NHS employers, but the union warned that if a deal was not brokered over the summer it could create problems if flu really took hold across the UK later in the year. (I TRIED TO GET A LAWYER TO SUE MY DOCTOR, IMPOSSIBLE).
WELL FRED GOODWIN
He resigned in disgrace then left his Edinburgh home after RBS lost £24billion - the biggest corporate losses ever recorded by a British firm. Windows at his home were smashed and he was reportedly worried for the safety of his children.
MANY PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING TO FEED THEIR CHILDREN. THE FRENCH SHOULD FEED YOU TO THE GREAT WHITE SHARK'S IN THE MED.
I think the point is we should have the right to know if a solicitor or anyone working for a law firm has a criminal record or not.I firmly agree we should be told and I do not believe the Crown Office's claim they hold no such statistics.
I think it is slightly false of the Crown Office to claim they have no such records but I imagine they do not want to disclose anything because some of their own staff will be part of the statistics (noting the posting of links to news reports in the comments)
Hi Peter
You will be pleased to know my lecturer agrees with you 100% on the poor state of self regulation of the legal profession.
He suggested we read some of your blog (which most already have) and cited your criticisms of the SLCC as "wise words from a regulation guru" !
Hope you enjoy the compliments and hope some of your readers can find the time to realise not all students will turn out to be crooked lawyers !
Thanks for all your comments.
I did notice the Fred Goodwin story in the newspapers at the weekend. An example perhaps for people to follow who wish to expose the 'crooked lawyers' and their colleagues at the Law Society who have done so much harm to clients over the years.
# Anonymous @ 7.37pm
Assuming you are a law student, I may have a job or at least a proposition, for you and anyone you know, in the next few days ... so keep reading.
The MP's Expenses, Christ, it's like Christmas every day for those buggers. Everything from blue movies to wide screen TV's. Daylight robbery, they must think the taxpayer is Santa.
Hi Peter
You will be pleased to know my lecturer agrees with you 100% on the poor state of self regulation of the legal profession.
I am pleased to hear a law lecturer has said this. The profession needs cleaned up, which will be better for future graduates, and clients.
FROM THE MONEY MUST COME BEFORE LIFE ARTICLE.
"At the end of the day it comes down to the attitude we are used to seeing in the professions, be it banks, lawyers, or insurers, that money comes before lives, and there are plenty of Scottish legal firms happy to indulge big business and the insurers in that argument, giving a very potent signal to the public that access to justice is only obtainable through corporate wealth, or corporate agreement, and woe betide anyone who is too poor, or requires the use legal aid to secure a smidgeon of court time to pursue life threatening medical conditions which the insurers want killed off .. along with their victims to avoid making any compensation payments".
Just like the Nazi's who eventually had a stranglehold on the press in Germany, this lot are protected by our Nazi lawyers who control the doors to the Scottish Courts. They block any member of the public who is a threat to the insurance companies, because the latter are crossing their palms with silver. That is why MONEY COMES BEFORE LIFE, THE STRANGLEHOLD OF OUR NAZI, LEGAL PROFESSION.
They block access to justice the same way as the Nazi's blocked the Jewish people's access to employment etc, just because some bastard said so. There should be a Swastika hanging over the Law Society of Scotland, because they would make the most ruthless dictators. If they had their way they would control our free press. A law degree should be LLB NAZI.
Source: BBC website 14th February 2008, Not another one Peter, Have a read at this.
A "bent solicitor" lived a life of extravagance after stealing more than £1m from a disabled client, a prosecutor has told a court.
Thomas McGoldrick, 59, spent thousands of pounds on foreign holidays, a golf club and home improvements, Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, heard.
His client, Keith Anderson, of Croydon, south London, was awarded £1.8m after a road accident left him paralysed.
Mr McGoldrick, of Cheshire, denies fraud and says the money was a "gift".
He is alleged to have forged a letter from Mr Anderson, 45, purporting to award him £900,000 - half of the settlement his firm had won.
Mr Anderson, a father-of-three, was left paralysed from the chest down and quadriplegic, after the road accident in November 1996.
Earlier, Mr McGoldrick told the court he drafted the letter at Mr Anderson's request - something his former client denies.
Mr Anderson has told the court the letter is a forgery and he was "shocked" to discover the cash had gone.
The jury was told that Mr McGoldrick was £1.4m in debt at the time on 13 credit cards and more than 30 loans.
Despite the debts, he spent £3,500 to join Mere Golf and Country Club in Cheshire, £1,600 on a climbing frame for his children in the garden of his house, and £15,000 on his kitchen, the court heard.
David Friesner, prosecuting, said: "I'm going to suggest to you, you were living an extravagant lifestyle, a grossly extravagant lifestyle."
Charges denied
Mr McGoldrick, a solicitor since 1973, also allegedly falsified his firm's accounts to get overdraft facilities and loans.
He faces 53 counts of false accounting, two counts of obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception, one count of forgery and one count of money laundering between December 1999 and September 2004.
He denies all the charges and has told the court any finance he obtained in credit cards and loans was on the strength of accounts submitted by his accountants.
Mr Friesner suggested the defendant had gone further than taking £900,000 and had actually taken up to £1.2m of Mr Anderson's damage award.
Mr McGoldrick said he was "taken aback" and "surprised" at being asked to take half of his client's money, but agreed to draw up the letter and accept the money.
"I did what I did in what I thought was an honourable way," he told the court.
"I resent the implication I abandoned him," he added.
Mr Friesner replied, "I'm suggesting you are a bent solicitor, a dishonest, bent, dishonourable solicitor and have been for years."
The trial continues.
Mirror.co.uk News (Sorry Peter I sent you the wrong one. He has been convicted). CLIENTS KEEP YOUR MONEY OUT OF LAWYERS ACCOUNTS. LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS POOR CHAP WHO TRUSTED HIS LAWYER.
Bent lawyer blows £1.1million of client's money 23/02/2008
A bent lawyer blew a crippled client's £1.1million compensation payout on holidays, school fees, cars, and a luxury house.
Tom McGoldrick, 59, persuaded van crash victim Keith Anderson, 45, to leave the money in his practice's account.
The solicitor told his client he would find property for him to invest in.
But he stole most of the £1.8million, using some of it to prop up his business.
Mr Anderson could not even afford to buy his son a Christmas gift.
An audit uncovered the scam, Manchester crown court heard. McGoldrick, of Mobberley, Cheshire, was convicted yesterday of 53 charges, including false accounting and forgery.
Det Con Mike Field of Gtr Manchester police branded McGoldrick "completely shameless". He will be sentenced in April.
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If this had happened in Scotland the Law Society would have tried to save Private McGoldrick. I have no doubt, just like Pennman.
How anyone can think it is right to expell unrepresented people from access to a court is just disgusting.
Any judge who makes such a ruling should be sacked.Judges are there to serve the law and the people not the people serving the judges who seem to believe they are the law or are beyond the law themselves.
Well everyone else has had their criminal records statistics disclosed so now its the turn of lawyers.
Oh but what a surprise ! They are protesting against it !
Neil H. Kaufman is Director of Mediation Services at
the Departmental Appeals Board, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),
the place he additionally assists the HHS Dispute Resolution Specialist in implementing
different dispute decision (ADR) throughout HHS.
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