Thursday, June 19, 2014

LORD FLY-BYE: Scotland's courts in the slow lane as judges prefer law conferences, business & 'diplomatic' trips to life on the bench

Slow day in Court? Judges prefer international travel to dull legal hearings. AMID suspicions some of the wealthy, well connected members of Scotland’s judiciary who regularly fly around the world at taxpayers expense to attend ‘law related events’ have been using trips abroad to mix their official duties with private business, and apply a little soft power on behalf of Governments, the Scottish Court Service (SCS) are currently fighting a battle against publishing any further information in connection with the travels of Scotland’s elite, secretive judiciary.

The move by the SCS to stall the flow of information on what Scottish judges are up to outside of their role in court comes amid increased public debate on what judges actually do for the community and why, in spite of claims by Scotland’s top judge Lord Gill that the Civil Justice system is “failing society”, reforms which Gill himself proposed over five years ago never see the light of day while judges, lawyers and the justice system itself soak up billions more from clients, court users trapped in litigation hell, & taxpayers every year.

In previous information published by the media, it was discovered Scottish judges & sheriffs were also taking their wives on expensive trips abroad at public expense.

And in some expenses claims alongside the trips, members of the judiciary who are typically on salaries of over £140K a year with handsome pensions and numerous other ‘unspecified financial benefits’ also scooped up extra public funds for the hire of dinner suits, taxi expenses, and even malaria injections - while the rest of the country was being told to buckle down and public services including the National Health Service were being cut to the bone.

Judicial trips & extra expenses claims 2010-2013

17/06/10  Lord Hamilton Meeting European Court of Human Rights Strasbourg £100.90
17/06/10 Lord Reed Meeting European Court of Human Rights Strasbourg £103.53
24/06/10 Lord Hodge European Commercial Judges Conference Rome £765.39
25/06/2010  Lord Pentland Reform of criminal law event, Lisbon £1083.34
08/09/2010  Sheriff MacNeill Anglophone conference Berlin £382.57
12/09/2010  Sheriff Normand European Network of Councils of the Judiciary Meeting Brussels £136.72
12/09/2010  Lord Hodge European Network of Councils of the Judiciary Meeting Brussels £46.08
16/09/2010  Sheriff Baird  OPG Conference Dublin  £367.84
16/09/2010  Nikola Milne  OPG Conference Dublin  £245.77
03/10/2010  Lord Gill Opening of Legal year Dublin £362.16
07/10/2010  Lord Reed Meeting of UK judges Conseil d'Etat Paris £376.66
11/10/2010 Sheriff Normand European Network of Councils of the Judiciary Brussels £314.21
15/10/2010  Lord Gill Commonwealth Law Conference India  £3724.66
06/11/2010  Sheriff Ireland International Association of Judges Conference Senegal  £1331.02
06/11/2010  Lord Eassie International Association of Judges Conference Senegal  £1223
12/12/2010  Lord Woolman Judicial Conference cross-border protection of children & families in Morocco  £1158.78
12/12/2010       Sheriff Normand European Network of Councils of the Judiciary Meeting Brussels £224.61
16-19/09/2010  Sheriff Welsh  OPG Conference Dublin  £349.48
23-27/06/2010 Lord Glennie European Commercial Judges Conference Rome  £621.17
24-29/06/2010 Sheriff Normand Reform of criminal law event, Lisbon  £992
31/01-12/02/2011  Lord Tyre  ERA Academy I & II Trier £177.90
8-10/12/2010   Sheriff Noble EU Seminar on Mutual Recognition and Trust in Amsterdam  £178.84
8-10/12/2010   Sheriff McColl EU Seminar on Mutual Recognition and Trust in Amsterdam  £163.84
10/04/2011      Lord Hodge  ENCJ Bucharest £181.17
12-14/5/2011 Sheriff M  Neilson Franco/British/Irish Colloque Dublin £367.89
12-15/5/2011 Sheriff T Welsh Franco/British/Irish Colloque Dublin £391.85
12-14/5/2011 Sheriff C Cunninghame Franco/British/Irish Colloque Dublin £493.79
12-14/5/2011 Sheriff K Ross Franco/British/Irish Colloque Dublin £770.91
10-12 April 2011     Sheriff A Normand ENCJ working Group - Barcelona £176
6-7/7/2011           Lord Woolman Hague Conference on PIL £284.67
7-11 June 2011    Lord Hodge General Assembly of the ENCJ Vilnius, Lithuania £295.59
7&11/6/2011      Sheriff Normand General Assembly of the ENCJ Vilnius, Lithuania £806.53
7-11 August 2011  Lord Gill ISRCL Conference, Ottawa, Canada £1053.39
14-22 July 2011 Sheriff Fletcher  CMJA Kuala Lumpur £4659.41
4-8 Sept 2011  Sheriff L Wood International Association of Judges, Istanbul £1815.08
15-16 Sept 2011  Lord Hodge ENCJ, Hague, Amsterdam £733.85
25 - 27 Sept 2011  Lord Reed European Court of Justice, Conference £380.74
6-12Aug 2011 UKIJSC Sheriff McFadyen ISRCL Conference, Ottawa, Canada £4010.29
12-15May2011  Lord Uist Franco-British-Irish Judicial Cooperation Conference 0
9-10 Oct11     Lord Hodge ENCJ Steering Committee meeting £80.34
30 Sept-3Oct11 Lord Hardie Opening of the Legal Year: Dublin £677.29
9-10Oct11       Sheriff A Normand ENCJ Steering Committee meeting, Brussels £830.50
20-23Nov11      Sheriff A McCulloch European Court of Justice, Luxemburg £37.90
20-23Nov11    Lord Hodge European Court of Justice, Luxemburg £1342.99
17-22July11  Sheriff N Morrison  CMJA Kuala Lumpur £4850.07
25-28Jan 2012   Lord Woolman Scottish Hague Network Judge, The Hague, Netherlands £1100.65
22-23Jan 2012   Lord Hodge ENCJ Steering Committee, Brussels £296.25
6-7May 2011      Lord Eassie European Association of Judges, Malta £996.31
4-8 Sept 2011   Lord Eassie International Association of Judges, Istanbul £1996.11
15-16 Jan 2012   Sheriff A Normand ENCJ Project Group meeting, Brussels £397.55 
22-23 Jan 2012    Sheriff A Normand ENCJ Steering Group meeting, Brussels £148.30
3-7March 2012    Sheriff A Normand ENCJ Project Group meeting, Palma Majorca £553.60
31Oct-3Nov 2011  Lord Malcolm Bordeaux to attend IOJT Conference £1245.58
31Oct-3Nov 2011  Sheriff Duff Bordeaux to attend IOJT Conference £1289.07
31Oct-3Nov 2011  Sheriff Welsh Bordeaux to attend IOJT Conference £1163.22
23-27Nov 2011     Lord Gill Ljubljana on official business £251.50
21-22June 2011  Sheriff Welsh QC non funded delegate EJTN General Assembly, Budapest  £672.56
25-26 Oct 2011  Lord Brodie  UKRIJSC Meeting £221.13
25-26 Oct 2011  Sheriff Duff  UKRIJSC Meeting  £240.43
9-13 May 2012   Sheriff A Normand ENCJ General Assembly, Dublin  £399.20
9-11 May 2012   Lord Hodge ENCJ General Assembly, Dublin £394.59
10-16Nov2012  Sheriff G Liddle IAJ Conference, Washington (USA) £3953.32
29-31 May 2012  Lord Brodie EJTN General Assembly, Copenhagen  £44.50
18/07/2012  Sheriff David Mackie Commonwealth Magistrates & Judges Association Conference Kampala  £2182.38
27-29June 2012           Sheriff K Maciver Extradition Seminar, Madrid £121.88
22-26 Nov 2012  Sheriff N McFadyen ISRCL Conference, Washington DC £2173.44
8-16 Sept 2012     Lord Gill CMJA Conference, Kampala Uganda £3519.97
7-16 Sept 2012     Sheriff Fletcher CMJA Conference, Kampala Uganda  £3781.14
17-18 Sept 12  Sheriff Normand  ENCJ - Brussels £120.00
18-20 Oct 2012  Lord Tyre ERA Conference in Trier £505.45
9-16 Nov 2012  Lord Eassie IAJ Conference, Washington (USA)  £2695.56  
17-Sep-2012          Sheriff A Normand ENCJ project meeting in Brussels £360.24
29Sep-1Oct 2012   Lord and Lady Brodie Opening of Legal Year Dublin £561.96
23-Sep-2012          Lord Doherty European Courts of Justice -Luxembourg  £114.96
29-Sep-12          Lord Doherty Opening of Legal Year - Dublin  £81.00
18 20 Oct 2012  Lord Tyre ERA Conference in Luxembourg  £72.77
26-29 Sept2012 Lord Malcolm Attending the European Forum of Commercial Judges, Warsaw £483.75
9-10Dec 2012   Lord Hodge attend working group of ENCJ in Vilnius £1070.02
29-30Sept 2012  Lord and Lady Doherty attend opening of the Legal year in Dublin (in place of LP and LJC) £721.48
12-20 April2013  Lord Carloway Attendance at Commonwealth Law Conference £5541.37
Apr-13                 Lord Gill Attendance at Commonwealth Law Conference £3233.31
8-12 Feb 2013     Lord Hodge Attendance at ENCJ working group Rome 10 & 11 Feb £556.91
Jan to Aug 2012 reimbursement by ENCJ -£320.59
Sept to Dec 2012 reimbursement by ENCJ -£166.47
29-May 2012           Lord P Brodie EJTN General Assembly, Copenhagen £391.50
15 & 22 June 12  Sheriff T Welsh EJTN Conference, Rome £584.99
17-21 Oct 2012      Sheriff T Welsh ERA 20th anniversary, Trier  £476.28
26-28 Nov 2012      Sheriff T Welsh EJTN meeting, £0
31Jan- 1Feb 2013   Sheriff  T Welsh UKIJSC Meeting, £407.21
31Jan –1Feb 2013  Lord Malcolm UKIJSC Meeting, Dublin £464.90

113 comments:

  1. ehhh what the hell is going on here??

    The judges should be working in the courts and doing the job they are paid to do not flying all over the place and then telling the rest of us to get on with it!

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  2. What is the point of having any of these judges if all they do is fly about and complain the justice system is rubbish.Justice is rubbish because they are flying everywhere instead of doing the job they are paid to do.

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  3. The figures in the attachment look like someone at the courts has dreamed them up and made a few mistakes.

    You just need to try organising some of those journeys on your own to find that one out.Costs of their travel must be significantly higher.

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  4. Either blogger is down or your blog is so busy I cant get to it took over a minute to load maybe the judges are trying to stop people finding out about them

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  5. This wasteful exuberant self-serving conduct at the same time as the Scottish Court System is in dire straights with closures all over the country and reducing access to justice for the Public, while the Judges and Sheriffs co to use to live their fantasy lives travelling the World?

    It's me me me me me me me and f#ck YOU

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  6. No wonder they dont want to publish - you are giving them a well deserved hammering and rightly so.Why has none of this come out before now and why do our politicians defer to this bunch of crooks in gowns.Just look at all these trips completely unnecessary they are supposed to be in court in Scotland not in Berlin, Canada, Lithuania or Kuala Lumpur etc

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  7. Quite a list and reprehensible at that.Witness the power to do and spend as they please we have given judges by the back door..

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  8. Trips to Europe for £30 and it is about the same to get from Glasgow to Edinburgh so I can only conclude the courts are telling a few porkies under Freedom of Information.

    Luxembourg on £30 and presumably he returned.Was the journey by donkey?

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  9. Bunch of Banksters

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  10. Oh look all this happened under the SNP and the Scottish Govt are saying nothing about it!Everyone has their hands in the till again and it will be no different if we get independence *probably more of this and you will never find out because the nats will kill off foi*

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  11. Why do they not have intranet conferences, would save the taxpayer a fortune

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  12. Cancer patient cant get medication to live while judges get free trips around the world and suit hire thrown in.DISGUSTING.

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  13. A depressing bunch of professional bandits who are not fit to be in a justice system, but it is not about justice. Scotland's lawyers are big businesses puppets swinging legitimate cases against litigants to keep their private bonuses and then they scrounge of the taxpayer and call it expenses. They get the best of both worlds public and private money.

    The Courts are about maximizing the wealth of Lord Gill and his cronies hence the rejection of a Register of Interests. And the Civil Court review was just that. It will never be implemented by these professional bandits. Big business have their lackies in court sitting on the bench to ensure civil cases are decided in favour of shareholders etc. They may as well fly bye because members of the public will never get justice for being wronged in Scotland's Corporate Courts.

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  14. The judges must be hating you lots for revealing their hidden life!Well done!

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  15. No bloody wonder the scottish legal system is subject to 'notorious, often scandalous delays' Lord Gill.

    Clearly the judiciary have no intention of preventing them, these trips should stop, NOW!

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  16. When did it suddenly become acceptable for judges to make all these flights on public money and not one politician even bothers to debate what they are up to and how much they are spending.

    Can we all now apply for £5000 public money to go to a Commonwealth law meeting along with Lord Gill and co and also get a suit hire and malaria jab thrown in as extras? Probably not so why is it acceptable for the judges to get away with this huge waste of money.

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  17. @19 June 2014 18:32

    Good point .. it also seems to be the case not all trips were included in the disclosure ... something being looked into for a further article.

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  18. I think you guys have let you judges away with it for too long!although come to think about it so have we over here!

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  19. I want a further break-down.

    1) How many flights were First Class?

    2) How many flights were Business Class?

    3) How many flights have the Public paid for wives, girlfriends or bottom-chums?

    4) What extras have been paid for by the Public whilst away on these busmans holidays?

    5) What proof is there that any of these so-called vital conferences etc were attended or was it just a case of clocking-in at the beginning of the week and clocking-out at the end of the week and the rest of the time is a free holiday on the Tax Payer?


    Have I missed something here?

    I thought Scottish Judges and Sheriffs were supposed to work in Scotland?

    We seem to have found out the real reason the Scottish Court System is always delayed and log-jammed to such an extent that they routinely 'forget' about hundreds of crimes that should have been prosecuted but have to let the perpetrators get off Scot Free because of interminable delays?


    By all means fly to the other side of the World by First Class but do it on your own time and pay it out of your own massively inflated salary?

    All of the incidences where they have claimed for higher fares than standard is a case of embezzlement and they should be forced to pay it back under proceeds of crime legislation or are these Judges and Sheriffs above the law?

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  20. Where is their Statement to the Press from Lord Gill or MacAskill or do they not read your blog?

    Or are they just hoping that this unveiling of examples of non-transparency and non-accountability will just disappear?

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  21. Now you know why court cases are so slow - because most of the time the judges are out flying around on taxpayer funded jaunts!

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  22. Well look at it this way Peter there are plenty judges who are obviously more into feathering their own nests than giving a damn about cases in the courts so there will be a lot of palm greasing and dodgy money around on these trips.

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  23. I have to admit this is a surprise to me although I have heard in the past of a sheriff who openly brags about foreign trips as part of his duties.I half expected the Lord President to be a frequent flyer however the rest should have their wings clipped.

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  24. Salmond and all MSP's support these crooks. It is outrageous indeed.

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  25. As you can see this is the real reason of Lord Gill's constant use of the "judicial independence" argument - independence to do as he and his fellow judges see fit and waste as much public money on themselves as they want.

    The courts are just a cover for business as Peter has always said and its about time everyone woke up to this and these waster judges with their big houses tax dodges and criminal records etc

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  26. The judges seem to be acting like some kind of royal family with powers they give themselves and few question it.

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  27. Interesting list of destinations for what look like a bunch of pensioners on day trips to law conferences flying first class.From what you write and previous I am sure there is a lot more going on here than meets the eye.
    For instance I note Lord Gill's trips to the far east do not get a mention.I presume this is down to his exemption from FOI and all acceptable levels of transparency.At least we have a comparison with the former Lord President Lord Hamilton who does appear on the list.

    and in reply to another comment I tried arranging a trip to Luxembourg today, came to £377 return so £30 to Lux and back is a non starter.

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  28. Anonymous said...
    The judges seem to be acting like some kind of royal family with powers they give themselves and few question it.

    20 June 2014 16:10
    £££££££££££££££££££££££

    Few are allowed to question it because they have been keeping this fraud a secret from the Scottish People?

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  29. I want to know who is allowing these gravy lake expenses to be paid out or are Scottish Judges and Sheriffs given a Platinum Credit Card and told to go for it?

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  30. These people have two understandings of justice. People may get justice in the courts if the outcome does not affect the judges finances or their lesser lawyers, and capitalists. But for civil law Gill never intended to change a system he is the chief beneficiary from and his argument that the public are not concerned regarding the integrity of the judiciary is weak.

    Transparency will destroy them and that is why they are so hostile to it. Transparency means them losing £££££££££££££££££££££££ and their rejection of transparency is costing them their reputations. Which loss can they suffer more?

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  31. Free holidays for the judiciary on the taxpayer instead of doing their job in court.A DISGRACE!

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  32. What benefit do these trips bring to Scotland as a whole? None.

    Benefits only to lawyers who cuddle up to the judges or are already doing business with them as you already revealed and the judges who pack in the air miles with a bonus in the pocket.

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  33. These people are like leeches, sucking the cash out of Scotland for their own selfish desires?

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  34. Maybe Police Scotland should start searching the judges as it seems to me they are hiding too much under their wigs and up their robes!

    http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/searches-non-scots-risen-more-half-3727233

    Searches of non-Scots have risen by more than half under Police Scotland
    Jun 19, 2014 20:40By Dailyrecord.co.uk

    CHIEF Constable Sir Stephen House described the figures as an anomaly at briefing on force's first set of management figures.

    POLICE searches of non-Scottish people have increased by more than half under Police Scotland, new police figures show.

    Some 53,352 people who do not fit the category "white Scottish" were searched in 2013/14, an increase of 53.3 per cent from the 34,800 in 2012/13.

    There has been a 84.9 per cent increase in searches of non-Scottish white people, from 19,637 to 36,310 - and a 1,121 per cent increase in searches of ethnicities "other" than mixed, Asian, Black, Chinese or non-Scottish white.

    Chief Constable Sir Stephen House described this figure as "an anomaly", insisting the proportion of searches of ethnic minorities remain below their representation in society at a briefing in Tulliallan to launch Police Scotland's first set of management figures.

    Searches of white Scottish people have dropped by 8.6 per cent, Asians by 19.3 per cent, Chinese by 10 per cent and mixed ethnicities by 26 per cent.

    However, when "other" ethnicities are totalled with the four other non-white categories, searches of non-white people have risen by over a tenth from 15,163 to 17,042.

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  35. How can they get away with this?

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  36. This is more than just a list of old farts flying round the world to law conferences as you say in your opener.Hope people in the countries on the list now start paying attention to what the Scottish judiciary are up to because it wont be any good other than for judges and greedy lawyers.

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  37. This is deliberately tailored to provide as little information as possible, similar to the Court Rolls where in some cases the Public is not given sufficient information to know who is appearing in court, or like the Scottish Solicitors Discipline Tribunal where they only 'notify' cases on their Diary Page, after the cases have already been held, thereby making sure that cases they hear are heard in secret so the Scottish Public cannot see what goes on?

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  38. Anonymous said...

    Cancer patient cant get medication to live while judges get free trips around the world and suit hire thrown in.DISGUSTING.

    19 June 2014 21:33

    Yes a good point there and also why are the public having to fund judges flights when the trips clearly benefit the legal profession and the judges personally rather than the rest of us.

    These 55+ year old judges are in it for themselves this is all about lining pockets and greasing deals for lawyers not about helping the justice system because we have already had it from Gill the justice system is a failure.

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  39. Because the Scottish Judges and Sheriffs have been taking such advantage for their own benefit, it is now essential that an Independent Body comprising of purely lay members (to ensure propriety) are constituted to act as a Publicly Funded Standards Authority to take control of every sector of all Public Employee's conduct and adherence to strict rules and to ensure that there is a proper system of compliance which ensures that the Scottish Public are protected from these 'Borrowers Without Consent'?

    This trustworthy body would also maintain a Register of Judges Interest to ensure compliance and if members of the Judiciary continue to flout the Rules then they should be publicly outed in the first instance and then sacked if another instance happens in the following ten years?

    Given her experience of the corrupt status quo the best person to be chief executive of this body would be the courageous and trustworthy Ms Moi Ali?

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  40. Would they not be cheaper buying their own private jet for business executives?

    Or maybe that is precisely the point?

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  41. Why no statement from the Lord President or Kenny MacAskill about this scandal?

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  42. VERY interesting blog and admire the way you pulled apart the Scottish judiciary.Nice to see writers who can unmask the powerful elite as easily as you do.

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  43. I too am of the opinion some of these figures are on the low side.
    I just cannot see a lot of arrogant judges who have too much to hide (including the fact they are judges) sitting with the rest of us in economy class seats.
    All that things Brian Gill said about aggressive media and hostility - are the judges really going to slum it on cheap tickets with this kind of attitude towards the public - clearly not!

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  44. @22 June 2014 18:03
    Because any Press Release regarding the judiciary has to be written in consultation with the judiciary after MacAskill's "He who pays the piper as they say calls the tune" MacAskill threat to end Supreme Court funding remarks ...

    @23 June 2014 00:47

    There are a few around ... support the media that safeguard transparency in Scotland ...

    @23 June 2014 11:29

    Good points ... and it is true there are trips involving members of the Scottish judiciary which do not appear in the list issued by the Scottish Court Service ...

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  45. I just want to say whoever you are do not take advice from those who comment saying be an msp or something like that.If you were to go into politics you will be co opted into the system just like the rest and that will be the end of what must be the best ever expose of the law and not just in Scotland because a lot the subjects you write about apply equally to many other countries and will make others think about what goes on in their own backyard.

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  46. I hear you are rocking the boat again!

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  47. Anonymous said...
    The judges seem to be acting like some kind of royal family with powers they give themselves and few question it.

    20 June 2014 16:10
    ------------------------------------

    It seems to me, with all of this going on and Lord NoNo's outlandish behaviour, that the time has long since passed that our Judiciary have been concentrating on their jobs (remember the reason they are being paid tax-payers money)?

    It might seem obvious but the description of Judge seems now to be totally inappropriate considering?

    From now on it may be better to refer to them as Corporates?

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  48. Anonymous said...
    I too am of the opinion some of these figures are on the low side.
    I just cannot see a lot of arrogant judges who have too much to hide (including the fact they are judges) sitting with the rest of us in economy class seats.
    All that things Brian Gill said about aggressive media and hostility - are the judges really going to slum it on cheap tickets with this kind of attitude towards the public - clearly not!

    23 June 2014 11:29
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Is this not a brilliant example of the DOI journalists providing the Scottish Public with the PROOF that these Judges and Sheriff's think they are a 'higher-class' than the rest of us and that they are entitled to dip their sticky fingers into the goody-bag of perks because THEY have decided that THEY deserve to be treated like Royalty if not above?

    This is proof if it were ever needed that Scotland's Judges and Sheriffs are not fit to do their jobs and that they are taking advantage because they have inveigled a system whereby they cry foul if they are scrutinised?

    Get rid of this dead wood who treat their position as some kind or reward and get Public Spirited Professional Judges in, to redress the balance?

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  49. To take just one data entry as an example:

    12-20 April 2013 Lord Carloway Attendance at Commonwealth Law Conference £5541.37

    The briefest of checks on the Internet found that this gathering was held in Cape Town South Africa between the 14th and 18th of April 2013...

    So, what was the two days added at the start and two days at the end, was this so that they could take in an extra game drive and sightseeing or maybe they chose not to fly but instead took a Cruise Ship to get there?

    There must be some other reason to justify a five and a half thousand expenses claim, especially as the return flight is around £500?

    Maybe, they were staying in a £600 a night five star hotel suite?

    Or maybe it was just the baggage allowance for all of the African souvineers?

    I'm sure the Scottish Public would to love to have these perks broken down to see what their sweat and toil is paying for others to take advantage of?

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  50. 20 June 2014 21:04

    "I want to know who is allowing these gravy lake expenses to be paid out...."

    ANSWER - Salmond, McAskill, the SNP and every other major political party in Scotland.

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  51. A wonderful blog and encouraging to know that others abroad are reading it - let's hope it costs the legal profession here millions in lost fees!

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  52. Yes,I too believe there is more to this list than just the travel destinations.Judges are getting free holidays on the taxpayer as well as using the opportunity to further their own interests not declared.
    When is your petition next being heard?Surely all this should be discussed and must be entered into a register.

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  53. With all of this apparent take, take, take is it now worthwhile asking if any of these Judges and Sheriffs are fulfilling the number of hours required by their employment to do their job?

    As part of that analysis would surely be their arrival at 10am for a 10:30 start and leaving at 4pm at the latest?

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  54. How much tax-payer money has been flushed-down-the-toilet by these above bourgeois beurocrats who's judgement must be questioned over how they perceive themselves and how they think it is morally alright to lavishly spend the Scottish Public's money in such a cavalier and carefree manner on themselves and their associates?

    With each devastating exposé of their conduct, these Scottish Judges and Sheriffs continue to make cartoon caricatures of themselves whilst with each passing day bring the Scottish Judiciary into disrepute?

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  55. Well whatever they are doing on these trips they cannot claim it is to improve the justice system or courts because both are rubbish and will never improve because of the courts preference for lining the pockets of lawyers who then go on to become judges.

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  56. So the judge likes to say NO to the Scottish Parliament and YES to flights all over the world at public expense.Not a figure of great respect is he or any of the others who have notably stayed silent over their perks and fiddles.

    Only the greedy and the foolish bother to use Scottish lawyers or the courts.

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  57. The SCS are presumably fighting the release of the additional figures due to the impact this list is having on the judges and their sensitivities about declaring what else they get up to.

    This proves all along your register of interests is a good idea and a must have check on what the judges are doing.I can see now why Moi Ali and others support the register petition.It makes perfect sense.Keep up the good work Peter.

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  58. In business, often when people go on these jaunts to the sun whilst claiming it as a genuine CPD (continuous professional development) they are asked to give a written presentation of their learning event to their colleagues when they return (all sun-tanned)?

    I wonder how many Scottish Judges and Sheriffs would be able or willing to give a presentation to the people they serve about each of their CPD visits to the sun?

    Maybe this would lead to less days in the sun and more days in court?

    A bed outcome for Ambre Solaire but a good outcome to the efficient running of the Scottish Justice System and a few more hospitals thrown in?

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  59. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28015456

    Payday lender Wonga must pay £2.6m in compensation after sending letters from non-existent law firms to customers in arrears.

    The letters threatened legal action, but the law firms were false. In some cases Wonga added fees for these letters to customers' accounts.

    The City watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), said 45,000 customers would be compensated.

    Wonga has apologised and said the tactic ended nearly four years ago.

    The company is the UK's largest payday lender, making nearly four million loans to one million customers in 2012, latest figures show.
    ==============================================
    So it is not just lawyers involved in dirty tricks as the Law Society specialize in. Perhaps the legal establishment in England will come down on Wonga like a ton of bricks.

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  60. Lord Gill stated “It is essential that we should have a system that has disputes resolved at a judicial level that is appropriate to their degree of importance and that disputes should be dealt with expeditiously and efficiently and without unnecessary or unreasonable cost. That means that the judicial structure should be based on a proper hierarchy of courts and that the procedures should be appropriate to the nature and the importance of the case, in terms of time and cost. Scottish civil justice fails on all of these counts. Its delays are notorious. It costs deter litigants whose claims may be well-founded. Its procedures cause frustration and obstruct rather than facilitate the achievement of justice."
    ==========================================================
    He stated 'It costs deter litigants whose claims may be well-founded'..............Even if they are well founded when you refer to the degree of importance I ask importance for who? If Judges and Sheriffs have secret financial interests which could influence their decisions in court the litigant has no chance.

    There is only one solution, the public must stop using the courts altogether. They are a business set up purporting to stand for an unbiased justice system. It is Victorian Lord Gill, the way you intend to keep it.

    ReplyDelete
  61. How many expensive restaurants and bar bills have been claimed for as essential expenses whilst away on these trips abroad?

    ReplyDelete
  62. Presumably MacAskill and Lord NoNo do not give a jot about this wastage?

    ReplyDelete
  63. Lord Gill's constant use of the judicial independence argument is now clear in it's intention - for judges to spend as much as possible without accountability, keep their interests hidden at all times and basically do what they like.

    ReplyDelete
  64. A while back in relation to a DOI feature about a board member of the SLCC, who I believe may have been a QC (certainly a Scottish lawyer) who infamously referred to victims of crooked Scottish lawyers as, 'frequent-flyers'? (Meaning they are looking to get something for nothing)?

    It would seem that she may have been talking from experience about the frequent-flyers in the Scottish Judiciary and was happy to twist the target of Public Derision to be the victims of crooked Scottish lawyers?

    However, now it has been uncovered that this has been going on all the time with Scotland's Judiciary?

    Just goes to show how twisted and crooked these people are about twisting the truth and seeking to demonise victims of Scottish lawyers?

    ReplyDelete
  65. Who is responsible for allowing such lavish perquisites for these already over paid and under worked Judges and Sheriffs?

    ReplyDelete
  66. How much are these overseas trips interfering with the administration of justice in Scotland?

    For example, if they are sitting in an important case and it is running over, do they postpone the case or otherwise tailor the court hearings so that they do not clash with these away days?

    Or do they decline to take cases in case it clashes with one of these paid-for trips?

    There are a lot more unanswered questions here that need the professional scrutiny of Public Service DOI journalists to bring out into the open?

    You can see what goes on in an incestous secret covered up system, where no one else is allowed to see what they are getting up to?

    ReplyDelete
  67. I heard from a friend this travel list of yours has caused a lot of arguments in the SCS and some angst from certain judges.

    ReplyDelete
  68. Anonymous said...
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28015456

    Payday lender Wonga must pay £2.6m in compensation after sending letters from non-existent law firms to customers in arrears.

    The letters threatened legal action, but the law firms were false. In some cases Wonga added fees for these letters to customers' accounts.

    The City watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), said 45,000 customers would be compensated.

    Wonga has apologised and said the tactic ended nearly four years ago.

    The company is the UK's largest payday lender, making nearly four million loans to one million customers in 2012, latest figures show.
    ==============================================
    So it is not just lawyers involved in dirty tricks as the Law Society specialize in. Perhaps the legal establishment in England will come down on Wonga like a ton of bricks.

    25 June 2014 10:50
    _________________________

    How much are you betting that it was a lawyer's idea to do this in the first place?

    ReplyDelete
  69. Anonymous said...
    Lord Gill stated “It is essential that we should have a system that has disputes resolved at a judicial level that is appropriate to their degree of importance and that disputes should be dealt with expeditiously and efficiently and without unnecessary or unreasonable cost. That means that the judicial structure should be based on a proper hierarchy of courts and that the procedures should be appropriate to the nature and the importance of the case, in terms of time and cost. Scottish civil justice fails on all of these counts. Its delays are notorious. It costs deter litigants whose claims may be well-founded. Its procedures cause frustration and obstruct rather than facilitate the achievement of justice."
    ==========================================================
    He stated 'It costs deter litigants whose claims may be well-founded'..............Even if they are well founded when you refer to the degree of importance I ask importance for who? If Judges and Sheriffs have secret financial interests which could influence their decisions in court the litigant has no chance.

    There is only one solution, the public must stop using the courts altogether. They are a business set up purporting to stand for an unbiased justice system. It is Victorian Lord Gill, the way you intend to keep it.

    25 June 2014 12:31
    ##################%##%

    The penny is finally dropping on the Scottish People....the Law Society of Scotland have set up an industrial scale system which operates for Scottish lawyers and to the detriment of all other stake holders?

    This is why they defend their 'PRECIOUS' so viciously because they have created a monster that is eating Scotland from the inside out such is their insidious grip?

    They consider the rest of us to be useless eaters and not fit to have a lick of their shit, such is their naked contempt for the rule of law and morals?

    You would need to be rich enough to guarantee to win your case or clinically insane to use a Scottish lawyer to represent you in a Scottish court?

    A far better solution is to pay a visit to The Big Man?

    ReplyDelete
  70. Do you think that every year they bet each other £1 to see which of them can get away with screwing the most money out of the Scottish Tax-Payer and how many days they can get off their work, and get away with it?

    Who is the Bookie?

    ReplyDelete
  71. We need the full facts surrounding these transactions and who sanctioned these hand-outs of Public Money?

    Is it all Sheriffs or Judges who are getting these benefits or just some of the inner circle?

    Given that these payments appear to be taxable benefits, have they been declared to the Tax-Man or has there been widespread Tax Evasion?

    This is Proof Positive why we need a Register of Interest for the Scottish Judiciary as a matter of extreme urgency because they simply cannot be trusted?

    ReplyDelete
  72. @ 25 June 2014 13:21

    ...Some may consider the Government are currently backing away from requiring the judiciary to declare their interests in the belief it will keep the judiciary on-side when difficult cases against public bodies, Government policy & challenges to legislation come along ... It is clear many judges are heavy investors, have significant undeclared wealth, including offshore tax avoidance assets ... so it is not too difficult to draw a link between the two ...

    @ 25 June 2014 14:42

    A good point. The term "Judicial Independence" appears to at least equal and in reality go far beyond Westminster's "Parliamentary Imunity" in Lord Gill's arguments against transparency ... While MPs at Westminster are required to declare, judges in the UK are not ...

    @ 25 June 2014 18:38

    Quite a bit in terms of intereference in court cases ... and yes, judges do seem to be tailoring cases & hearings around their "diplomatic committments" & preference for air travel instead of sitting in court.

    There is also evidence court staff have interefered in cases where hearings, or the production of evidence, lodging of papers in civil cases (by solicitors acting on behalf of clients, and party litigants) have been delayed, put off or even entirely ruined to conceal the fact judges in certain cases were unavailable due to travel or other unspecified reasons ...

    ReplyDelete
  73. Quite a blog!

    Normally I'd be tempted to ask why you can get away with printing this however the evidence is always with your postings so no need to worry.

    You are doing the right thing concentrating on the judiciary as it is clear from their reaction to your petition we should all move forward with this register of judicial interests.

    ReplyDelete
  74. 'Quite a bit in terms of intereference in court cases ... and yes, judges do seem to be tailoring cases & hearings around their "diplomatic committments" & preference for air travel instead of sitting in court.'

    'There is also evidence court staff have interefered in cases where hearings, or the production of evidence, lodging of papers in civil cases (by solicitors acting on behalf of clients, and party litigants) have been delayed, put off or even entirely ruined to conceal the fact judges in certain cases were unavailable due to travel or other unspecified reasons ...'

    26 June 2014 13:01
    //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

    There we have it. The Scottish Judicial System is a plaything for these unaccountable and unelected actors who change things according to their own desires, not what is lawful or moral?

    As such, they are imposters and if the police do not make arrests then the People of Scotland will take responsibility and make a citizen's arrest?

    After all, is this not what happens in other failed States, where there is no Rule of Law and the Judges and lawyers cannot be trusted because of their own actions?

    ReplyDelete
  75. The judges and clerks are probably reading these comments wondering what is going to come out next!GUILTY!

    ReplyDelete
  76. Thanks for being so candid about the justice system in Scotland.Rare to see the system stripped down to what it really is and thanks to those newspapers who do same.

    ReplyDelete
  77. ...Some may consider the Government are currently backing away from requiring the judiciary to declare their interests in the belief it will keep the judiciary on-side when difficult cases against public bodies, Government policy & challenges to legislation come along ... It is clear many judges are heavy investors, have significant undeclared wealth, including offshore tax avoidance assets ... so it is not too difficult to draw a link between the two ..
    =======================================================
    Yes DOI there are many links which close access to justice for citizens as you are all reporting on. It seems to me these Judges are above the state in every way if we consider the state to be a citizens, because a crucial part of citizenship must be having legal rights. Judges have horrendous power with no checks and balances and they think we should trust them. Shows really how detached from society they really are.

    ReplyDelete
  78. Anonymous said...
    No wonder they dont want to publish - you are giving them a well deserved hammering and rightly so.Why has none of this come out before now and why do our politicians defer to this bunch of crooks in gowns.Just look at all these trips completely unnecessary they are supposed to be in court in Scotland not in Berlin, Canada, Lithuania or Kuala Lumpur etc

    19 June 2014 19:32
    £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££

    How can the Scottish Judiciary claim that these foreign trips are part of their job or continuing learning?

    In many instances these holidays away are dealing with international law or how law works in other countries. What relevance has this got to Scots law which they tell us is different in any case?

    We know it has no bearing whatsoever on modernising Scottish Justice as everyone knows it is kept deliberately in the ancient past?

    Why travel to the other side of the world to see someone receiving a worthless award for being a lawyer in their respective country?

    If there was a Register of Interest already in place, these foreign trips would not be happening. More evidence that a Register of their Interests is urgently needed and evidence that Lord NONO has been trying to keep this information from the Scottish Public?

    ReplyDelete
  79. It seems to be the same names coming up over and over again?

    How does this compare with the Judges and Sheriffs who never appear on these rich-pickings lists?

    ReplyDelete
  80. How long has this cash-grab being going on in secret?

    ReplyDelete
  81. Business trips or law events it is all wrong.Judges are supposed to be in court this is their job not flying to other countries on the taxpayer.

    ReplyDelete
  82. Why exactly do the Scottish Judiciary have to fly all around the World?

    Would they be sacked if they stayed at home and got on with their own job?

    ReplyDelete
  83. Is it not time these shady Scottish Sheriffs and jeopardeous Judges flied bye bye to distant lands never to darken these shores again?

    ReplyDelete
  84. Never mind Food Miles, now we have Law Miles in Scotland?

    Why should we continue to employ Scottish Sheriffs and Judges who come with ridiculous Law Miles when we can employ better replacements who are conscientious and come with zero Law Miles?

    ReplyDelete
  85. I heard that the favourite song of the Scottish Judiciary is by Frank Sinatra, 'Fly Me To The Moon'?

    ReplyDelete
  86. ex SCS man I know agrees with you about the judges fitting the cases around their travel plans.

    Also says clerks are told to cover up the real reasons for court delays if there are any enquiries.

    ReplyDelete
  87. The thing is,you come across as very convincing and this is partly due to your use of the evidence in your posts.
    Gill on the other hand relies on sweeping statements and judicial edicts to keep your petition off the books,to the point everyone minus his inner circle have already concluded the judiciary have too much to lose in disclosure.
    As far as I am concerned your petition is a great idea and the register should be enacted asap.

    ReplyDelete
  88. Anonymous said...
    Do you think that every year they bet each other £1 to see which of them can get away with screwing the most money out of the Scottish Tax-Payer and how many days they can get off their work, and get away with it?

    Who is the Bookie?

    26 June 2014 00:08
    --------------------------------

    Same bets for crooked Scottish Lawyers robbing the Scottish Legal Aid Fund?

    ReplyDelete
  89. Anonymous said...
    ...Some may consider the Government are currently backing away from requiring the judiciary to declare their interests in the belief it will keep the judiciary on-side when difficult cases against public bodies, Government policy & challenges to legislation come along ... It is clear many judges are heavy investors, have significant undeclared wealth, including offshore tax avoidance assets ... so it is not too difficult to draw a link between the two ..
    =======================================================
    Yes DOI there are many links which close access to justice for citizens as you are all reporting on. It seems to me these Judges are above the state in every way if we consider the state to be a citizens, because a crucial part of citizenship must be having legal rights. Judges have horrendous power with no checks and balances and they think we should trust them. Shows really how detached from society they really are.

    27 June 2014 10:27
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    The Scottish Justice System has been corrupted over the years by the Law Society of Scotland and is run as a profit making business for Scottish lawyers and a massive and unnecessary drain on Public Finance, where the Judiciary are the board of directors and the management are the Law Society of Scotland, with their noses firmly in all facets of Scottish Society and the Crown Office, where they can pick and chose to hammer their enemies and let their friends off Scot Free?

    Their Mantra is that Scottish Lawyers must be allowed to be above the law and to be allowed to cash-in on their unsuspecting victims, You and Me?

    ReplyDelete
  90. This clearly shows that the Scottish Judiciary have disabused their given right to monitor themselves and now that they have been caught with their proverbial pants down, then they cry and moan about how they are "not allowed to face the consequences as it is not in the Public Interest for the Public to know what they have been getting up to"?

    The Scottish Judiciary as a body corporate have shown that they are incapable of being trusted, that their priorities are all wrong and that their judgement of right and wrong is terminally damaged?

    This scandal is so serious that it is likely that there will be a resolution for the Scottish Judiciary to be impeached and that if there are any straight ones left then they will have to reapply for their jobs back and will have to justify why they should be paid so much for what they actually do?

    ReplyDelete
  91. Here's a theory....you know how flying birds are linked to dinosaurs?

    We should have known all along because we have dinosaurs who fly about all over the place?

    ReplyDelete
  92. 15-16 Jan 2012 Sheriff A Normand ENCJ Project Group meeting, Brussels £397.55
    22-23 Jan 2012 Sheriff A Normand ENCJ Steering Group meeting, Brussels £148.30
    3-7March 2012 Sheriff A Normand ENCJ Project Group meeting, Palma Majorca £553.60

    Gets around alot doesnt he

    and what is this ENCJ Project Group?

    ReplyDelete
  93. How many more nurses, policemen or firemen could have been employed out of this secret spending slush-fund?

    The Scottish Judiciary and MSP's have got their priorities all wrong?

    It's noses in the trough all round?

    ReplyDelete
  94. If we cannot trust these creeps over the small matter of lavishing First Class and Business Class flights on themselves, then how can we trust their judgement dealing with massive decisions that affect people's lives?

    It strikes me that these foreign trips would not be happening if the Public knew about them. This hitherto conduct has only been disclosed by the SCS kicking and screaming under the freedom of information legislation?

    They seem to be operating as though the Scottish Public is the enemy and as long as things are kept a secret from them then they are allowed to do as they please?

    ReplyDelete
  95. I wonder what these Scottish Judges do in their spare time?

    Oh, I nearly forgot......they preside in court?

    ReplyDelete
  96. Are they doing this for the sunshine or is it for the Duty Free?

    ReplyDelete
  97. This leisure activity has created what some might consider to be an unacceptable risk, in that these Scottish Judges and Sheriffs will have a lot higher risk of getting DVT's (Deep Vein Thrombosis) through all of this flying and this could lead to unnecessary lost time, with respect to the real job, if they have to take time off to recover?

    A routine management risk assessment would have assessed and quantified this risk, which would then allow management to curtail this activity, thus saving thousands of pounds for the Scottish Tax Payer?

    ReplyDelete
  98. This seems to be a very 'on-topic' Scottish Lawyer Joke?


    'Terrorists have hijacked a planeload of Scottish lawyers bound for a legal convention. They’ve threatened to start releasing the lawyers one by one until their demands are met....'

    ReplyDelete
  99. I wonder if these 'frequent flyers' have shares invested in these airlines?

    ReplyDelete
  100. 7-11 June 2011 Lord Hodge General Assembly of the ENCJ Vilnius, Lithuania £295.59
    7&11/6/2011 Sheriff Normand General Assembly of the ENCJ Vilnius, Lithuania £806.53

    If you look at the spreadsheet breakdown on page 4 and page 5, you see that this is the same conference, where the explanation is given that one of them has declared that the ENJC have paid for travelling expenses?

    Whilst the other claims for travelling expenses of £456.53?

    Is this a typo or is further investigation required?

    ReplyDelete
  101. Who is Nikola Milne and when did she become a Judge?

    ReplyDelete
  102. Did the Scottish Judiciry take any of these journeys during the day or can we take it they are all fly-by-nights?

    ReplyDelete
  103. The 2014 results are not in yet......maybe there have been several conferences/ meetings in Brazil?

    ReplyDelete
  104. Not on at all this must be stopped and the judges focus put back on courts instead of enjoying themselves abroad at taxpayers expense

    ReplyDelete
  105. Do these Scottish judges get a couple of days holiday off after these trips to counter against jet-lag?

    Trust Scotland to be the only country to have jet-lagged judges?

    ReplyDelete
  106. Just to say I agree with everyone else - this is an outrageous abuse of public money and position.

    The judges should be in court not on trips at our expense!

    ReplyDelete
  107. Have the Scottish Court Service issued Scottish Judges and Sheriffs each with a Platinum Credit Card to run up expenses of their choosing on?

    Expensive Flights?

    Expensive Hotels?

    Expensive Dining?

    Expensive self-gifts?

    ReplyDelete
  108. Your site is one of the few credible blogs about law on the go today.However this must come at some cost to yourself.I doubt there are many in Scots public life who welcome your candid take on the legal system.Your investigations always hit the mark and leave no room for doubt.It clearly is safer to stay away from Scots solicitors, law firms courts and so-called arbitration experts.It is also clear to me anyone with a head on their shoulders should also avoid Scots financial experts who are just as expert in lining their own pockets as solicitors.I have to say reading through your posts it is evident to me no matter which way the vote on independence goes in September the legal system in Scotland will always be self serving and corrupt overall from the judiciary down.

    Your blog should be on the required reading list for all potential clients.

    ReplyDelete
  109. See the world join the judiciary!

    ReplyDelete
  110. Grotesque and you are spot on about something else going on in the background here - this is not just about trips to meet ups with old pals this is about business!

    ReplyDelete
  111. It must cost them a fortune in extra baggage costs......to check their golf clubs?

    That is unless they just add this to the ever increasing bill?

    ReplyDelete
  112. Anonymous said...
    Your site is one of the few credible blogs about law on the go today.However this must come at some cost to yourself.I doubt there are many in Scots public life who welcome your candid take on the legal system.Your investigations always hit the mark and leave no room for doubt.It clearly is safer to stay away from Scots solicitors, law firms courts and so-called arbitration experts.It is also clear to me anyone with a head on their shoulders should also avoid Scots financial experts who are just as expert in lining their own pockets as solicitors.I have to say reading through your posts it is evident to me no matter which way the vote on independence goes in September the legal system in Scotland will always be self serving and corrupt overall from the judiciary down.

    Your blog should be on the required reading list for all potential clients.

    7 July 2014 18:18
    &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

    It may be appropriate for a DOI journalist to be invited to Scottish Universities Law Faculties to explain to the trainee lawyers just how corrupt their profession has become and that Truth and Justice (Pillars of the Legal Profession) have long since been abandoned as an unnecessary interference in their designs for personal enrichment?

    Otherwise, the megalomaniacal march of the Law Society of Scotland will continue until every Scottish citizen will have only one objective in life, which is to serve Scottish crooked lawyers and make them rich beyond their imagination?

    ReplyDelete
  113. Anonymous said...
    See the world join the judiciary!

    8 July 2014 11:14
    ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££

    Good observation, however they select their own from within to make sure their circle of power is maintained and controlled?

    ReplyDelete

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