MacAskill sides with secrecy for judges, rejects plea for increased powers for Judicial Investigator. IN A MOVE likely to increase concerns about the lack of openness in the Scottish legal system, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has sided with the position of Scotland’s anti-transparency top judge, Lord President Lord Brian Gill who has issued a stark refusal to share detailed information with Moi Ali, Scotland’s independent Judicial Complaints Reviewer (JCR) about outcomes of decisions on complaints made against judges.
In a letter to David Stewart MSP, the Convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill rejected pleas to increase the remit and powers of Moi Ali, who is tasked with reviewing how complaints made by members of the public against the judiciary are handled by the judiciary themselves.
Protests from Scottish judiciary limited powers of independent Judicial Investigator. Mr MacAskill was responding to concerns raised by JCR Moi Ali in evidence to MSPs who are considering Petition PE1458: Register of Interests for members of Scotland's judiciary in which the JCR told the Scottish Parliament’s Petitions Committee there was little point to the existence of her office, created by the Justice Secretary in the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008.
In spite of detailed evidence heard at Holyrood that the lack of powers was hampering the work of the Judicial Complaints Reviewer, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice said in his letter : “I consider that given the relatively short time the post of JCR has been in existence, and the modest number of reviews that have been handled in that time, it is premature to review the powers of the role. I am therefore not persuaded of the need for any change to the role or its functions at this moment in time.”
A detailed report on the evidence given by Judicial Complaints Reviewer Moi Ali to MSPs at Holyrood on the role of her office & remit along with the benefits of a register of judicial interests, can be viewed in an earlier report here : As Scotland’s top judge battles on against transparency, Judicial Complaints Reviewer tells MSPs judges should register their interests like others in public life
The Justice Secretary’s refusal to grant further powers comes in the wake of Lord Gill’s refusal to share further information with Moi Ali’s office on what happens to a complaint after there has been a referral made by the JCR.
In a report featured on Diary of Injustice last month, it was revealed the Judicial Complaints Reviewer recently wrote to MSPs on the Petitions Committee informing them she was being treated as a “third party” by the Lord President over how information is shared about decisions taken with regards to complaints made about judges.
The JCR told MSPs the Lord President had informed her “You have a clear but limited remit. The nature of your work and the terms of your remit do not involve any follow-up.”
First Annual Report of JCR revealed Scotland’s top judge froze out independent Judicial Investigator. This latest refusal of the Lord President to share information with the JCR came after it had been previously reported in February by the Sunday Mail newspaper and featured on Diary of Injustice that the JCR’s first Annual Report revealed Lord President Lord Gill ‘froze out’ Judicial Complaints Reviewer amid series of revoked findings, secret unshared memos & dismissed complaints.
Previous articles on the lack of transparency within Scotland’s judiciary, investigations by Diary of Injustice including reports from the Sunday Mail newspaper, and video footage of debates at the Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee can be found here : A Register of Interests for Scotland's Judiciary
The Sunday Mail newspaper has featured a report on the Justice Secretary’s refusal to grant more powers to the Judicial Complaints Reviewer, and put Scotland on a parity with the rest of the UK, regarding how complaints against the judiciary are handled.
MacAskill snub for Justice Watchdog
By Russell Findlay, Sunday Mail 10 November 2013
Justice secretary Kenny MacAskill has rejected a plea to give teeth to a watchdog who probe complaints about judges.
The move comes after Moi Ali revealed there was “little point” to her role as Scotland’s first Judicial Complaints Reviewer (JCR).
But MacAskill won’t grant Ali the same power as her equivalent in England and Wales.
He said: “I consider that given the relatively short time the post of JCR has been in existence, and the modest number of reviews that have been handled in that time, it is premature to review the powers of the role.”
MacAskill created the JCR post in 2011 but critics blame fierce judicial opposition for its lack of teeth.
In England and Wales, Moi’s equivalent can overturn decisions, order reinvestigations and ask for victims to be compensated.
But she can only ask the Judicial Office for Scotland - headed by top judge Lord President Lord Gill - to review how complaints were handled.
Ali told the Holyrood petitions committee in September: “There’s no real independent oversight. If you provide oversight without powers, then there’s almost little point to it.”
She added: “The real issue is how the public and the judiciary are best served, and in my view that would be by independent oversight with teeth - an ombudsman.”
Mr MacAskill’s letter to David Stewart MSP, the Convener of the Public Petitions Committee in full :
Justice Secretary tells msps : No further powers for Judicial Investigator. Writing to the Convener of the Petitions Committee the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Kenny MacAskill said : Thank you for your letter of 24 September 2013 in relation to the role of the Judicial Complaints Reviewer, her powers and resources available to her.
By way of background, Ms Moi Ali, the first Judicial Complaints Reviewer (JCR), was appointed under the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008 (the 2008 Act) by Scottish Ministers, with the consent of the Lord President, for a period of three years from 1 September 2011 until 31 August 2014. The 2008 Act makes provision for a scheme to be established to handle complaints about the conduct of the judiciary. The mechanism is set out, in rules made by the Lord President (Complaints about the Judiciary (Scotland) Rules 2011), which provide that complaints about the personal conduct of a judicial office holder should be sent to the Judicial Office. If, after investigation by a nominated judge, the complaint is upheld the Lord President may decide to take disciplinary action against the judge who has been the subject of the complaint.
The 2008 Act provides a right for either the complainer or the judicial office holder who has been the subject of a complaint to refer the matter to the JCR to review the handling of the case to ensure that the set procedures have been followed. The JCR has no power to consider either the merits of any complaint or the disposal of the complaint: the role is limited to considering whether the appropriate procedures have been followed.
During the lead up to and passage of the 2008 Act, consideration was given to options regarding the role and functions of an independent reviewer as part of the scheme for dealing with complaints. For instance, consideration was given as to whether or not the Scottish Public Sector Ombudsman ought to be involved but this was rejected on the basis that conferring this function on the Ombudsman would not sit well with the constitutional position of the judiciary.An independent ombudsman, as there is in England and Wales (who also has functions in relation to the judicial appointments process), was also rejected. It was considered that given the relatively smaller number of likely complaints in Scotland the public expenditure involved in establishing and maintaining an independent ombudsman would be not justified. Parliament concluded that the powers in the 2008 Act were both appropriate and proportionate.
I consider that given the relatively short time the post of JCR has been in existence, and the modest number of reviews that have been handled in that time, it is premature to review the powers of the role. I am therefore not persuaded of the need for any change to the role or its functions at this moment in time.
As far as resources are concerned, the JCR was initially paid a daily rate for 3 days work per month. The terms and conditions of appointment provide that additional remuneration can be agreed if extra duties involve a greater commitment of time and, following representations from Ms Ali, we have recently increased payment to 4 days per month for the remainder of this calendar year. The JCR also receives funding for office and travel expenses, and for other larger expenses, including the cost of setting up her website. Premises within the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission’s offices were secured for the JCR to allow her access to all workplace essentials and some administrative staff support. However, Ms Ali elected to work from home. Having reviewed the matter, I consider that the current remuneration package is sufficient to enable the JCR to adequately perform her role.
Call me a sceptic but lord gill resists calls to have judges interests declared and gets backed up by Kenny mackasall. In return Kenny wants corroboration done away with and what judge gives Kenny what he wants.... Lord gill. Look like its a marriage of convenience or blatant corruption of the political and judicial systems!
ReplyDeleteas well as a new judge you need a new justice secretary
ReplyDeleteThere you go lads.......fill your boots and continue in secrecy as normal........how is that for a big slap on your back..........?
ReplyDeleteThis letter coming from the same man who released a terrorist who murdered 270 people over Lockerbie Scotland in 1988.
ReplyDeleteYour idiot Justice Secretary and his boss have ruined the name of Scotland forever over here in the US and do not let anyone from your own press tell you different.
A good example of why independence for Scotland is a bad idea - you will end up with a dictatorship where the judge will pass any law these nutcase nationalists dream up over a fag packet and a bottle of buckie
ReplyDeleteOh well no doubt about it now - the judges must be so rotten and corrupt they had to get a man as discredited as MacAskill to come in and save them from complaints investigations
ReplyDeleteVery good coverage Sunday Mail but where are the rest of the press including television on this and why no national coverage when judges covering their own backsides and so far being allowed to get away with it must be big news.
ReplyDeleteindeed what is the point of a watchdog without teeth and why is our train wreck justice twit backing up the wigs when everyone else can see they are bent!
ReplyDeleteMacAskill really is horrible as justice minsiter and that letter he wrote is a stab in the back for the Judicial Complaints Reviewer.These nationalists at the heart of the so-called Scottish Government have more in common with dictators than democracy.
ReplyDeleteThe stupid leading the corrupt?
ReplyDeleteWhat a combination?
MacAskill creates a watchdog to investigate judges and then refuses to give more powers even though msps have already heard how difficult the judges and Gill especially are being over complaints and interests
ReplyDeleteWell it is now time for msps to make law and overrule MacAskill and his friends in the judiciary who are after just a pack of greedy lawyers dressed up in ermine robes benefiting off the taxpayer while they hide their dirty linen
So the shameless state-sponsored corruption continues, courtesy of the man who lied to the whole world about the release of Abdelbasset Al-megrahi.
ReplyDeleteThe nationalists have no use for the justice system other than to use it to control ordinary Scots and their lives.
ReplyDeleteAnd with the attacks from Salmond against judges of the Supreme Court http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/jun/01/alex-salmond-scotland-supreme-court
and then MacAskill threatening to remove funding for it
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/8559030/Split-between-Alex-Salmond-and-Kenny-MacAskill-over-UK-Supreme-Court.html
there is plenty evidence now to say Scotland needs a new Justice Secretary and not some puppet of the judges and the lawyers
MacAskill has no credibility and now he has sided with these judges well we know where they all stand now,
ReplyDeleteBirds of a feather.. and what does Kenny have to hide I wonder.Anything not declared?
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteCall me a sceptic but lord gill resists calls to have judges interests declared and gets backed up by Kenny mackasall. In return Kenny wants corroboration done away with and what judge gives Kenny what he wants.... Lord gill. Look like its a marriage of convenience or blatant corruption of the political and judicial systems!
14 November 2013 22:45
Ah yes - a secret deal by the looks of it.There are a few judges unhappy about MacAskill's determination to remove corroboration but so far we have heard nothing from his nibs the Lord President who could and should make a comment.
What a dirty seedy bunch of people run the Scottish justice system..
15 November 2013 13:00
ReplyDeleteNationalists have a long standing tradition of sticking knives in the back of people they put in jobs when the wind is blowing another direction.
I hear former ScotGov employees from the Justice directorate hated being anywhere near him and they are not shy to tell if you find the right one.
Anyway it should not be up to MacAskill the msps at the parly should debate the lack of powers for the JCR and put a bill through straight away to solve the problems - they can do this you know instead of all that flim flam with some tosser of a Scottish Minister trying to steer through the usual twisted spin to score points in the press (never works,only makes them look more foolish)
ReplyDeleteMacBuckfast is nothing but a figurehead and not much good in his post as everyone even plenty of his own peers agree.
ReplyDeleteHe probably didnt even write that letter,it probably came from one of the twits who prop him up or maybe even Gill had to write it because its Gills show all along as is very obvious now.
Basically MacAskill has given the judges a blank cheque to commit any offence and get away with it.
ReplyDeleteDisgusting along with the rest of his party who allow this conduct in the name of their nationalist agenda.
They have the Police in their pocket, now they have the judges too, more and more creeping towards a failed dictator State?
ReplyDeleteWhy has Scotland fallen so far?
The length of time the post has been in existence is completely irrelevant.
ReplyDeleteThe post's lack of any meaningful powers, which has Lord Gill's fingerprints all over it, was a deliberate act following the trouble previous Ombudsmen had given the Scottish legal fraternity in Edinburgh - notably the last incumbent Mrs. Linda Costelloe-Baker.
The letter from idiot Macaskill says she was to work at the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission offices!
ReplyDeleteWould anyone want to work at such a place?
MacAskill you protecting judges, why am I not surprised? Scotland, a Plutocracy disguised as a democracy.
ReplyDeleteYour Mr MacAskill probably knows how dirty the judges are and they will have plenty on him too so naturally he will have to ride to their defense or everyone will find out they have shares in the justice system and all the private personal profits they are earning just like some of our judges over here.
ReplyDeletePoor little crooked Scotland under these madmen no wonder injustice is everywhere.
Good luck with your campaign and this blog.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteMacAskill really is horrible as justice minsiter and that letter he wrote is a stab in the back for the Judicial Complaints Reviewer.These nationalists at the heart of the so-called Scottish Government have more in common with dictators than democracy.
15 November 2013 13:00
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
It would not surprise me if Moi Ali resigned from her job as a line in the sand protest over the untenable power pact cabal between the Scottish State and Lord NONO and to humiliate them in the process?
Dumb and Dumber?
ReplyDeleteSums it up nicely?
“I consider that given the relatively short time the post of JCR has been in existence, and the modest number of reviews that have been handled in that time, it is premature to review the powers of the role.”
ReplyDelete===================================
MacAskill is a No No too. F**k off Kenny we know you from old. He keeps spouting the same lawyer protecting tripe, that is why he was appointed in the first place. And these are the people who want independence? End coroborration so they can stitch up whoever they want.
Everything MacAskill does is to make sure those vested interests stay that way. He is a waste of space. Westminster or Edinburgh on 18th September 2014, either way it wont make my life better. Politicians like the judiciary are filth.
ReplyDeletegood you put up his letter in entirety now its all over google and we can see what a tosspot of a justice wimp this guy is
ReplyDeleteas for the judges well they are obviously bent!
I wrote to Mr MacAskill over the way the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission handled my complaint against my solicitor and received a similar let down from one of his lackeys.When I managed to get my msp to write to him he did not even bother to reply to them so you can add his ignorance to the rest of it.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/parish-fury-as-catholic-church-suspends-rogue-priest-over-sexual-bullying-expos.22717016
ReplyDeleteThe bishop ranting on while the people protest against the priest being thrown out of his own church for speaking up about abuse reminds me of a judge who is telling all of us to do as he says and not as he and his chums are doing with their loot.
Now we see where the real power lies?
ReplyDeleteNONO stamps his feet and demands secrecy--MacAskill meekly delivers?
This could only happen in a country as corrupt and out of control as Scotland?
ReplyDeleteKen Tuckie
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteAnyway it should not be up to MacAskill the msps at the parly should debate the lack of powers for the JCR and put a bill through straight away to solve the problems - they can do this you know instead of all that flim flam with some tosser of a Scottish Minister trying to steer through the usual twisted spin to score points in the press (never works,only makes them look more foolish)
15 November 2013 19:46
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What about a vote of no confidence in MacAskill?
Kate Carnavical
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteThe letter from idiot Macaskill says she was to work at the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission offices!
Would anyone want to work at such a place?
16 November 2013 18:44
??????????????????????
I thought this disreputable body had been shut down already?
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteMacBuckfast is nothing but a figurehead and not much good in his post as everyone even plenty of his own peers agree.
He probably didnt even write that letter,it probably came from one of the twits who prop him up or maybe even Gill had to write it because its Gills show all along as is very obvious now.
15 November 2013 20:42
:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;
Word on the street is the Law Society of Scotland issues all of his letters for him to sign?
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteBasically MacAskill has given the judges a blank cheque to commit any offence and get away with it.
Disgusting along with the rest of his party who allow this conduct in the name of their nationalist agenda.
15 November 2013 22:35
------------------------------------
Further proof, if it was ever needed, that MacAskill & NONO are willfully taking Scotland in the opposite direction we need to be going, into a State of disrepute for spivs and pedophiles and justice by a nudge, a wink and lots of back-slapping?
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteThe length of time the post has been in existence is completely irrelevant.
The post's lack of any meaningful powers, which has Lord Gill's fingerprints all over it, was a deliberate act following the trouble previous Ombudsmen had given the Scottish legal fraternity in Edinburgh - notably the last incumbent Mrs. Linda Costelloe-Baker.
16 November 2013 15:43
()()()())()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
So much for Whistleblowers in Scotland!
They would rather you whistle up their bum?
I'll back-slap your back if you back-slap mine?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeleteI wrote to Mr MacAskill over the way the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission handled my complaint against my solicitor and received a similar let down from one of his lackeys.When I managed to get my msp to write to him he did not even bother to reply to them so you can add his ignorance to the rest of it.
17 November 2013 19:21
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Arrogant F##kwit?
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/parish-fury-as-catholic-church-suspends-rogue-priest-over-sexual-bullying-expos.22717016
The bishop ranting on while the people protest against the priest being thrown out of his own church for speaking up about abuse reminds me of a judge who is telling all of us to do as he says and not as he and his chums are doing with their loot.
17 November 2013 21:56
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Brilliant analogy
I wonder who advises the Catholic Church in Scotland?
Ahmmm?
Might as well just turn the lights off now?
ReplyDeleteScotland is doomed with these cretins in charge?
The Public Petitions Committee discovers a serious impediment to Justice in Scotland and reports this to MacAskill so that he can correct this defect in law and close down the loophole?
So, what does MacAskill do?
He only takes sides with the fingers-in-the-till mob and ensures that miscarriages of justice and complaints about the ability of Judges & Sheriffs to carry out their lawful duties are WHITEWASHED away?
And Scotland claims to be a democracy?
Do me a favour?
To that comment saying Moi Ali may resign well I dont think so!Finally we seem to have someone who can tell us what is really going on and is credible not like Lord Gill and his wee poodle MacAskill who are running around trying to cover up the dirty judges
ReplyDeleteand lets face it if the judges were not dirty all this would have been passed and you would have the register with no problems at all so now we can all say without any problem at all that Scottish judges are corrupt should not be trusted and should be watched like a hawk in fact if anyone knows of a judge and what they are up to they should tell DOI about it and get stuck in there with some good headlines!
Why don't we just sack MacAskill and NO NO and give both their jobs to Ms Moi Ali?
ReplyDeleteMrs Moi Ali strikes me as being more capable, trustworthy and virtuous than the pair of them and gives me the impression that not only could she do both jobs better but that she would have time to spare?
Exactly why does Scotland have to accept pure dunderheeds anyway?
Once again, courageous reporting by the team at Diary of Injustice and there is only one valid Newspaper left in Scotland - The Sunday Mail
ReplyDeleteAll this proves is that Turkey's don't vote for Christmas?
ReplyDeleteWhat does MacAskill and an Ostrich have in common?
ReplyDeleteWhen the future beckons they both stick their head in the sand?
How out of touch is MacAskill when he has blind faith in the word of Lord NONO, without having any safe systems in place to ensure that the 'word' can be tested?
ReplyDeleteMacAskill is choosing to have Zero checks and balances for the most important thing in a democracy that is the propriety and transparency of the Judiciary?
That is of course if his intention is having a democracy in the first place?
How did Lord Gill get his name?
ReplyDeleteWas it when MacAskill puts a finger in both ears and shouts NONO NONO NONO NONO NONO NONO?
Does this add fire to the smoke that says lord NONO has lots to hide and MacrAskill knows it?
ReplyDeleteIs this tantamount to aiding and abetting the concealment of potential crime?
About time The Lord President took a Polygraph Test regarding the skeletons in the closet that requires him to keep things secret from the Public?
ReplyDeleteIs MacAskill's cowardly act analogous to holding the swag-bag open whilst it is stuffed full of booty?
ReplyDeleteAfterall the COnflicts of INterests are nicknamed COINs?
Especially when all other parts of UK Government are concerning themselves with good corporate governance, dealing properly with complaints and raising the standards of those in Public Office to ensure value for money?
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteI wrote to Mr MacAskill over the way the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission handled my complaint against my solicitor and received a similar let down from one of his lackeys.When I managed to get my msp to write to him he did not even bother to reply to them so you can add his ignorance to the rest of it.
17 November 2013 19:21
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The SLCC is a well known criminal organisation where they and the Law Society of Scotland are often in cohoots about making sure the lawyers get let off Scot Free?
Given that MacAskill is actively supporting secrecy against the best Interests of the Scottish Public and that in doing so may be guilty of crime, could this lead to his impeachment or given that Scotland's self-confessed Victorian Justice System leaps from crisis to disaster, will McAskill be subjected to being locked into stocks on the Royal Mile, so that all of the tourists can throw rotten eggs at him?
ReplyDeleteAnother nail in the coffin of Scotland's Democratic Accountability?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeleteI wrote to Mr MacAskill over the way the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission handled my complaint against my solicitor [THERE IS NO COMPLAINTS SYSTEM, IT IS CALLED A COMPLAINTS SYSTEM BUT NO ONE ACTS AGAINST THE LAWYER]and received a similar let down from one of his lackeys.THAT IS WHY WE HAVE A PLUTOCRACY BEHIND A FALSE DEMOCRACY]. When I managed to get my msp to write to him he did not even bother to reply to them so you can add his ignorance to the rest of it.
WE HAVE A PARLIAMENT BUT FILL IT WITH LAWYER SYMPATHIZERS AND LORD NO NO IS THE POWER IN ALL MATTERS LEGAL. WHERE THERE IS NO LAW THERE IS NO INJUSTICE, IN YOUR CASE THERE WAS NO LAW AGAINST YOUR LAWYER, HENCE THE REASON PEOPLE GET RUINED.
MacAskill said "Scotland owes a great debt to the legal profession". They set up the system to protect their own hence no register of interests, no law, no injustice.
Members of the Scottish Parliament bend for the Judiciary. No No runs the show, but is unelected, omnipotent and operates in a culture of secrecy and they dare to try and convince us this is a justice system.
ReplyDeleteWrite to your MSP about the way your complaint was handled, you may as well write to No No himself. The MSP's are his bitches all of them.
MacAskill is not out of touch, MacAskill wants No No's interests protected. As far as transparency is concerned MacAskill and No No may as well be the same person.
ReplyDeleteJustice secretary Kenny MacAskill has rejected a plea to give teeth to a watchdog who probe complaints about judges................That is like having an army without weapons. If MacAskill was a football referee and did the same one side could not possibly win at any time. Scotland's Minister of Injustice, a Law Society lackey. SNP the antithesis of all things Scottish. I detest Salmond with a passion.
ReplyDeleteAs the SLCC and Law Society protect lawyers those who have reached the highest positions in this professional group of mafioso what do we have in charge of Scotland's Parliament. Vote till the cows come home, MSP's are No No's babies. Makes a mockery of democratic values.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine the judges have the same designs as Mrs Thatcher and her BVI loot
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/margaret-thatcher-tax-shock-12m-2866929
Margaret Thatcher tax shock: £12m mansion where she saw out her days registered in TAX HAVEN
By Nick Sommerlad 30 Nov 2013
An expert said: “It's strange that the most British of prime ministers enjoyed the benefits of a property registered in the British Virgin Islands"
This lady's not for taxing: Questions raised over Thatcher fortune This lady's not for taxing: Questions raised over Thatcher fortune
Flag-waving former PM Margaret Thatcher may have avoided millions in inheritance tax by keeping a chunk of her fortune offshore.
A copy of Tory Baroness Thatcher’s will shows she left a £4.7million estate to be shared among family members.
2014 is almost here and the modus operandi of the legal profession is clearly set out in ANIMAL FARM .
ReplyDeleteThe only way to manage our Judiciary is to circulate their failings in every instance to there peers around the world
Engage with others who are seeking a safer and securer Judiciary for the community
Do not suffer in silence let our voices be heard .
The failings of Kenny Macaskill would make excellent subjects matter for many PhD students around the world .