Scotland’s judges prefer taxpayer funded jet travel to dull court duties. SCOTLAND’S wealthy, well connected judges are back on the jet set junket despite an alleged clampdown announced two weeks ago by Lord President & Lord Justice General Brian Gill after a controversy over justices of the peace trying to join the judicial travel circuit junket spree.
An investigation by the Scottish Sun newspaper has revealed Scotland's top judges spent £26,000 on thirty three international trips funded by taxpayers in the last year - including journeys to destinations such as Russia, Israel, Switzerland,Germany, France, Bulgaria, Lithuania.
The country’s top judge, Lord Gill – who is still refusing to appear before the Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee to answer questions from msps on judges undeclared wealth & interests, also jetted off on a FIVE DAY STATE VISIT to Qatar, and gave a sixteen page speech on judicial ethics.
Asked for further details of Lord Gill’s itinerary in Qatar, a spokesperson for the Judiciary of Scotland said no information could be provided as the Lord President is currently on holiday. The Judicial Office has claimed there are no photographs or video footage of Lord Gill’s trip to Qatar, even though the trip was paid for by the taxpayer.
The Scottish Sun reports:
LORDING IT ALL OVER THE WORLD
Beaks Trips on Taxpayer
Exclusive : By Russell Findlay Scottish Sun
JET-SETTING judges spent £26,000 of taxpayers' cash on overseas trips last year, a Scottish Sun on Sunday investigation can reveal.
Top beaks flew out to destinations including Russia, Israel, Switzerland, Germany, France, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Qatar.
The most expensive was a £5,800 trip to Canada by Scotland's second most senior judge, Lord Carloway. Lord Gill - who is the Lord President - also spent five days on a £2,800 trip to Doha, Qatar, where he gave speech on judicial ethics.
Our probe found he jetted to the desert state — criticised for its human rights abuses - after twice snubbing calls to appear in front of the Scottish Parliament's public petitions committee just 800 yards from his office.
Committee member John Wilson MSP said: "During his speech in Qatar he said that he had much to learn from that country's judicial system. But Qatar has a poor record on human rights, as identified by Amnesty International."
Legal campaigner Peter Cherbi added: "Judges are supposed to sit in courts, not in jets.
"It's hard to believe that Scotland and our judiciary can learn anything from Qatar, a country accused of funding war. mass murder and chaos throughout the Middle East."
In the past year the Judicial Office for Scotland has paid for Lord Carloway — who earns £208.000 a year - to take part in law events in Vancouver. Canada, and Dijon. France.
It also forked out public money for Lord Armstrong, Lord Boyd and Lady Dorrian to meet other Euro pean judges on a three-day trip to Luxembourg.
Lord Eassie travelled to legal events in St Gallen, Switzerland, and Yalta, Ukraine.
And Lady Clark spent four days at an Anglo-Israeli conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, while Lord Hodge went to Paris.
Meanwhile four sheriffs — Wendy Anne Sheenan, Frank Crowe. Nikola Stewart and Thomas McCartney — attended a four day family law event in Ireland.
It took place at luxury Carton House hotel and spa in Co Kildare where the itinerary included a lack tie gala dinner and optional round of golf on the hotel's course.
Last year Lord Gill — whose salary is £216,307 - also travelled to Jersey, while in the previous three years he went to Ireland, South Africa, Slovenia and Canada.
Last week he announced a clampdown on overseas travel by judges, sheriffs and JPs.
He will only allow judges to travel if they give a good reason to do so and they will also have to write a report about their trips.
The SNP's Mr Wilson added: "Given the pressures on our courts, it's welcome that Lord Gill is seeking to curtail future judicial travel and will hopefully lead by example."
The Judicial Office for Scotland was asked to give details of Lord Gill's itinerary for the rest of his Qatar trip and whether he regretted going after snubbing Holyrood.
A spokesman said they couldn't help as the Lord President is on holiday.
JUDGES JUNKETS - Overseas Travel of Scotland’s Judges 2013-2014:
6-10 May 2013 Lady Clark Anglo Israeli Conference in Tel Aviv £2,404.00
15-17 May 2013 Sheriff MacFayden ERA seminar in Brussels £1,057.37
22 to 25 May 2013 Lord Eassie European Association of Judges meeting in St Gallen, Switzerland £373.30
7-9 June 2013 Lord Tyre ERA meeting in Trier £753.73
5-7 June 2013 Lord Hodge ENCJ GA in Sofia £863.26
5-7 June 2013 Sheriff Normand ENCJ GA in Sofia £775.63
January - June 2013 - - Reimbursement by ENCJ -£162.22
January - June 2013 - - Reimbursement by ENCJ -£162.23
21 - 27 September 2013 Sheriff Liddle CMJA Conference – Jersey £237.34
22 - 24 September 2013 Lady Scott Judicial and Academic Visit in Luxembourg £368.30
22 - 26 September 2013 Sheriff L Wood Commonwealth Law Conference – Jersey £106.71
22 - 26 September 2013 Sheriff Fletcher Commonwealth Law Conference – Jersey £1,445.02
24 - 28 September 2013 Lord Gill Attendance at CMJA Conference – Jersey £102.95
26- 28 September 2013 Lord Hodge Franco-British Judicial Colloque in Paris £425.73
4 - 12 October 2013 Sheriff J P Scott Conference IAJ Yalta £734.50
4 - 12 October 2013 Lord Eassie Conference IAJ Yalta £1,019.64
24 - 27 November 13 Lord Armstrong Meeting of Judges of Member States @ the Court of Justice of European Union: Luxembourg £294.80
24 - 27 November 13 Lord Boyd Meeting of Judges of Member States @ the Court of Justice of European Union: Luxembourg £294.80
24 - 27 November 13 Lady Dorrian Meeting of Judges of Member States @ the Court of Justice of European Union: Luxembourg £294.80
9 - 10 December 2013 Lord Tyre ENCJ Project Group meeting in Brussels £481.76
9 - 10 December 2013 Sheriff Normand ENCJ Project Group meeting in Brussels £514.48
July - December 2013 Reimbursement by ENCJ -£157.82
July - December 2014 - - Reimbursement by ENCJ -£157.83
7-9 February 2014 Sheriff Sheehan Four Jurisdictions Family Lawyers Conference 2014 £599.92
7-9 February 2014 Sheriff Crowe Four Jurisdictions Family Lawyers Conference 2014 £550.50
7-9 February 2014 Sheriff N Stewart Four Jurisdictions Family Lawyers Conference 2014 £817.11
7-9 February 2014 Sheriff McCartney Four Jurisdictions Family Lawyers Conference 2014 £576.03
16 - 18 February 2014 Sheriff Normand ENJC meeting in Warsaw, Poland £396.89
23 - 24 January 2014 Lord Tyre ENCJ project group meeting in Brussels £642.01
21 - 27 June 2014 Lord Carloway ISRCL Conference in Vancouver Canada £5,820.16
4 - 6 Feb 14 Lord Carloway European Conference,Dijon, France £59.15
7 - 9 Feb 2014 Lord Brailsford Four Jurisdictions Family Lawyers Conference 2014 £167.56
24 - 26 Mar 14 Lord Carloway Evidence & Procedure Review Study Visit £232.93
23 - 26 March 2014 Sheriff Normand ENCJ Project Group meeting in Lithuania £451.81
23 -25 March 2014 Lord Tyre ENCJ Project Group meeting in Bucharest £631.58
23 - 26 March 2014 Sheriff Normand 23 - 26 March 2014 ENCJ Meeting in Lithuania £146.00
13 - 18 April 2014 Lord Gill Official visit to Qatar £2,855.52
78 comments:
Nice for some.As you say they are supposed to be sitting in court not on some jet flying off to a holiday under the guise of a law conference.
A state visit by a judge?
Has Gill made himself King of Scotland?
What? no piccies?
Is he ashamed of visiting his pals in the Middle East?
Why?When they keep telling us our courts are are slow and reform etc etc then it turns out the judges are never there!
Outrageous
Wouldnt it be better sending people who matter instead of old judges stuck in their ways?
Now you see folks why the judges voted for the bedroom tax and cut your cancer care.
They are allowed to have as much money as they want as many shares as they want and can travel all over the world while we suffer their judicial backing for the most outrageous cuts targeting the poorest and vulnerable of society.
No use appealing to their humanity because they have none.
They are only concerned with how rich they can become off the system while slapping down anyone who gets in their way.
7-9 February 2014 Sheriff Sheehan Four Jurisdictions Family Lawyers Conference 2014 £599.92
7-9 February 2014 Sheriff Crowe Four Jurisdictions Family Lawyers Conference 2014 £550.50
7-9 February 2014 Sheriff N Stewart Four Jurisdictions Family Lawyers Conference 2014 £817.11
7-9 February 2014 Sheriff McCartney Four Jurisdictions Family Lawyers Conference 2014 £576.03
4 Sheriffs to the same conference when 1 would do and you know the routine - in one ear and out the other until next year and another jolly!
Is this part of the judges efforts to rehabilitate Qatar over bribes for the World Cup?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/globalbusiness/10891858/IoD-attacks-Fifa-in-wake-of-Qatar-World-Cup-scandal.html
Their luggage will have put on a few kilos on the way home
An investigation by the Scottish Sun newspaper has revealed Scotland's top judges spent £26,000 on thirty three international trips funded by taxpayers in the last year - including journeys to destinations such as Russia, Israel, Switzerland,Germany, France, Bulgaria, Lithuania.
Ban these junkets and make them do the job they are SUPPOSED to be doing as in SITTING IN THE COURTROOM.
Last year Lord Gill — whose salary is £216,307 - also travelled to Jersey, while in the previous three years he went to Ireland, South Africa, Slovenia and Canada.
Last week he announced a clampdown on overseas travel by judges, sheriffs and JPs.
He will only allow judges to travel if they give a good reason to do so and they will also have to write a report about their trips.
The SNP's Mr Wilson added: "Given the pressures on our courts, it's welcome that Lord Gill is seeking to curtail future judicial travel and will hopefully lead by example."
Ban the trips completely and clean up the courts!
It is completely unnecessary for judges to be on these trips but I suppose what has happened is they saw politicians doing this for years and decided to do it themselves and guess what no one said anything about it until now.
Yes by all means stop the judges running away from what they are supposed to be doing in court although reading your other story on their shareholdings and the comments it looks like all they do is line their own pockets and rig justice in their favour.
No end to it is there.
This continues to play out like a comedy scriptwriters dream....
From President to King (State Visit) all in one Liar Jet...
This is just a junket
C'mon People roll up roll up...
Here we have Scottish Judges going here for not cheap, any three for a £Million Pound......roll up roll up....
Let me get this right. Lord Gill calls for a stop to overseas jollies because the DOI journalists caught him with his proverbial pants round his ankles?
Then, at the first opportunity Lord Gill is flying off over the sunset in First Class serenity to schmooze with dangerous regimes, where he is going to pick up tips to be put into action against Scotland's People as soon as Independence is confirmed (it has already been decided bye the way)
They are building a Scottish State to serve themselves at the expense of us all.
Where one goes others follow and look who has already been to Qatar - Alex Salmond and you wrote about it! http://petercherbi.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/first-minister-opens-qatar-office-of.html
In between opening offices of disreputable law firms Alex Salmond says he sees similarities between Qatar and Scotland. Oh really? What similarities? Is an independent Scotland also going to fund wars in the middle east or just fund interference and wars at home when Scotland ends up a divided country if it isn't already.
So an independent Scotland may well end up modeled on the likes of states like Qatar who sponsor wars and play around with regime change for their own profit.And then there is the human rights angle as Amnesty International rightly point out Qatar is an abuser of Human Rights.
Forced labour and violence against migrant workers http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/foreign-domestic-workers-qatar-shocking-cases-deception-forced-labour-violence-2014-04-23
and surprise surprise we have the judges who are dead against disclosing their mountains of wealth trotting off to Qatar to make sure everything is smoothed over.
Yuk.No thanks.
Not acceptable.Judges are not ambassadors for Scotland and never should be.They are as you say supposed to sit in court not in jets.
Lord Gill has now replaced the Queen and goes on state visits?
How can a judge go on a state visit on his own.He is a judge not an elected leader.Power mad?
Legal campaigner Peter Cherbi added: "Judges are supposed to sit in courts, not in jets...........So true Peter but at least we know the courts and Judges run a business not an unbiased justice system. For a judge justice is screwing the taxpayer and being rewarded by his or her secret financial interests in big business for swinging cases the latter's way.
Scottish Courts should be a PLC paid for by the public controlled by the private sector because the Judges and big corporations are in it together for money. Gill's Civil Courts Review was a farce, delays make more money for the Judiciary. The Judges are Capitalists running the courts for their financial partners and hence their horror of transparency. Keep up the good work Peter and colleagues, wonderful blog.
Politicians have been doing this for years on the excuse of learning how other countries do this or that.They come back and it makes no difference probably because what works in one country does not usually work somewhere else no matter how much tosh the politicians like to claim it does.
So what probably happened is the judges got jealous of how politicians did the travel circuit and jumped on the bandwagon.Neither said anything against the other as they had a good thing going all paid for by taxpayers.
And,it must stop.Judges learn nothing.They sit in court hearing the same cases and say the same things over and over again.Now we know why.Money.Your previous post on the shareholdings is confirmation enough.This travel deal seals it.
Is this what Gill means by leave judicial independence alone?
Nice one Lord Gill you want to be independent but you judges still want the public to pay for you to fly around the world and for your judges to stuff it in shares and houses don't you.
@ 21 August 2014 17:04
Fair comment ... Judges have no need for food banks or the homeless register, given their wealth and substantial property interests carefully hidden behind creative arms length trusts and holding companies ...
Unjust laws are hardly ever stopped in their tracks by the judiciary ...
Judicial backing underpins all legislation ... including poor regulation of the banks and professions allowed to self regulate such as the legal profession from where the massed ranks of judges emerge ...
@ 21 August 2014 20:37
Every major political party has viisted Qatar to court the wealth of those who fund war in the Middle East, however it is re-badged as 'investment and funding' with politicians demanding a pat on the back and votes for bringing it in.
It is not philanthropic ... there is and will always be a price to pay.
Mr Salmond's visit did not do much good for McGrigors. They were forced to merge not long after the 2011 article.
@ 21 August 2014 20:03
Yes, and the Lord President is well caught out in the Scottish Sun article.
@ 21 August 2014 22:11
Fair comment ... Lord Gill's Civil Courts Review, once hailed as a reform to bring access to justice has turned out to be little more than a rearrangement of business practices for the legal profession and the judiciary to make more out of Scotland's courts and the public who are denied access to justice at the point of spiralling legal fees and a rich, secretive & unaccountable judiciary.
State Visit of top judge what a joke what right has Gill to represent Scotland HE IS UNELECTED
So,goes to Qatar and not the Scottish Parliament.
Its obvious where his allegiance lies.
Notice not one judge has spoken up in favour of transparency.They are all in it together all up to their necks in fiddles and money no wonder their boss will rather go abroad than go to speak at the parliament about your petition.
His Lordship will not be amused.Seriously,Gill must hate everything about this.He is all about control and he cannot control the debate any more.Keep up the pressure!
What the hell is our Lord President doing thousands of miles away in a lawless dictator country that funds Islamic hardliners including Islamic State and has Shari'a Law where people are stoned to death?
Especially when the Nepalese ambassador to Qatar, has described Qatar as an open jail?
Were tips being learned on how to further subjugate the People of Scotland, because Qatar would definitely be adopting the system in Scotland that is unless they are looking to torture their own people even more?
Anonymous said...
Why?When they keep telling us our courts are are slow and reform etc etc then it turns out the judges are never there!
21 August 2014 15:48
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Who knew, they were intending on going part-time for the same money?
Anonymous said...
Now you see folks why the judges voted for the bedroom tax and cut your cancer care.
They are allowed to have as much money as they want as many shares as they want and can travel all over the world while we suffer their judicial backing for the most outrageous cuts targeting the poorest and vulnerable of society.
No use appealing to their humanity because they have none.
They are only concerned with how rich they can become off the system while slapping down anyone who gets in their way.
21 August 2014 17:04
£££££££££££££££££
Have Platinum Credit Card.....will travel?
What? no piccies?
Is he ashamed of visiting his pals in the Middle East?
21 August 2014 15:20
Why no pictures if taxpayers have already stumped up for the junket?
Publish it all please!
Anonymous said...
7-9 February 2014 Sheriff Sheehan Four Jurisdictions Family Lawyers Conference 2014 £599.92
7-9 February 2014 Sheriff Crowe Four Jurisdictions Family Lawyers Conference 2014 £550.50
7-9 February 2014 Sheriff N Stewart Four Jurisdictions Family Lawyers Conference 2014 £817.11
7-9 February 2014 Sheriff McCartney Four Jurisdictions Family Lawyers Conference 2014 £576.03
4 Sheriffs to the same conference when 1 would do and you know the routine - in one ear and out the other until next year and another jolly!
21 August 2014 17:31
£?£?£?£?£?£?£?£?£?£?£?£?£?£?£?£?£?
Call me a cynic.........but this is not a conference but more of a Junket?
The first day is a game of golf or an excursion. A few people making a speech on the Saturday, followed by a social drinky-poo-hob-knobbing evening with partner and wait for it............the third day is Check-Out of their hotel?
Then they have the cheek to take 3 days holiday in lieu of this excuse for a paid holiday?
See for yourself below:
http://www.lawsoc-ni.org/download/fs/doc/4Js%202014%20Conference%20Brochure%20&%20Booking%20Form/pdf/
2 nights swanky hotel (with partner) and a round of golf plus fee equates to £550 - £600 for three of them?
Not sure where the extra £230 for the final member of the Four Muscat-eer's has come from?
After party?
A barrel of Guiness?
Or maybe just a generous tip for the Golf Caddy, at the Scottish Tax Payer's expense?
Maybe, these four Scottish Sheriff's are training to become Scottish Judges (where their expense accounts goes up up up)
Anonymous said...
An investigation by the Scottish Sun newspaper has revealed Scotland's top judges spent £26,000 on thirty three international trips funded by taxpayers in the last year - including journeys to destinations such as Russia, Israel, Switzerland,Germany, France, Bulgaria, Lithuania.
Ban these junkets and make them do the job they are SUPPOSED to be doing as in SITTING IN THE COURTROOM.
21 August 2014 17:58
FourFourFourFourFourFour
I'd love to see their tax returns?
Anonymous said...
Last year Lord Gill — whose salary is £216,307 - also travelled to Jersey, while in the previous three years he went to Ireland, South Africa, Slovenia and Canada.
Last week he announced a clampdown on overseas travel by judges, sheriffs and JPs.
He will only allow judges to travel if they give a good reason to do so and they will also have to write a report about their trips.
The SNP's Mr Wilson added: "Given the pressures on our courts, it's welcome that Lord Gill is seeking to curtail future judicial travel and will hopefully lead by example."
Ban the trips completely and clean up the courts!
21 August 2014 18:30
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
If they can skin the cat and take advantage over these extra perks, then how can we trust them to be a Scottish Judge?
I wonder, do they admire crooks that come before them for trying to trick and cheat the Scottish Public out of money?
Anonymous said...
Not acceptable.Judges are not ambassadors for Scotland and never should be.They are as you say supposed to sit in court not in jets.
21 August 2014 21:27
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
This shows how Lord Gill sees himself and also how much power he wield's by assuming a quasi-political role.
You would think they would wait until the result of the Referendum before showing the Scottish Public what their agenda is?
Why was he there?
Was it an arms deal or a money for oil deal?
The Qatar rulers are basically one family and it is a very harsh Sharia Law for it's people who are oppressed?
This would be another opportunity for the Petitions Committee to demand this man to reveal what is going on?
No wonder they want to keep all of this stuff under wraps?
There is no way these judges are just spending £26,000 between them. If you said each of their perks were £26,000 each then you would be getting warmer?
Wait a minute.
A 5-Day State Visit.
If he gave one speech, what was he doing for the other 4 days?
Maybe taking in a stoning or two or some public flogging in the streets.
Or maybe learning how to threaten and silence The Press?
This has all the hallmarks of a battle for power and dominance between The Lord President (or King of Scotland) and Alex Salmond who wishes he was Kimg of Scotland?
Wee Alex goes to Qatar, Lord Gill says I'm not having this, so he arranges a visit but calls it a State Visit to put Alex in his place?
MacAskill says that ridding Scotland of the Corroboration Rule (the paedophiles charter) is a must but Lord Gill says not on your Nellie and you will have to do an 180 degrees about turn and embarrass yourself in the process?
We are beginning to see where the power lies in Scotland?
This scandal gets worse by the day.
Lining their pockets at our expense just like every other public service on the go and keeping it all quiet until now.You can just see why the rest of them get away with it because the judges are doing it too.
What comes through from this and your other posts about the judges is they dont give a damn about the justice system or anyone else.If you swap the venue all these scandals could easily read as the goings on in some corrupt bank and we have plenty of those already.Another thing about those corrupt bankers getting away with it seems to lead right back to the judges who have shares in the banks.
Is Gill back from holiday yet or still on his world tour?Really says something about a top judge who cant speak up in front of the cameras instead of having cosy sit downs with crooks
"Last week he announced a clampdown on overseas travel by judges, sheriffs and JPs.
He will only allow judges to travel if they give a good reason to do so and they will also have to write a report about their trips."
Gill is only reacting because you have been on his tail about it..
What's the betting there are a lot more journeys not admitted to..
Very good.I fail to understand why judges should be flying around the world when as you point out they are supposed to be sitting in a court!
I could say more but you said it all!
Yes!Too bloody right these traveling judges roadshow must be stopped!
And finally!Thank god your blog is not full of referendum rubbish!Make sure you keep it that way so your readers have the added advantage of a safe haven from the referendum!
Yes,have to agree this is the only decent law blog in Scotland today,well from the point of view of people who PAY lawyers instead of the rubbish and excuses coming FROM lawyers when they cock up in court after five years of taking the fees!
I dare say you have a few secret admirers in the profession too!
Why does document handed out by the SCS list the trips to Yalta as "Yakta"?
and there are destinations missing from some of the other entries.
Seems to be a cover up of sorts going on here.Lets face it every time information is missing it is for a purpose to stop everyone else finding out about it.
I dont think the judges or the courts are honest.
Taxpayer funded holidays for them and they sit in court judging and criticising us!
Word on the street is that the Scottish Judges are calling for all Scottish Judges to be issued with a mobile iPad each so that they can be 'present-in-court' via their iPad, when they are sitting on the plane in First Class?
The thinking is, that this would save time and expense for the Scottish court and at the same time leave the Scottish Judges free reign to continue to travel the Globe?
The only caveat is, that when the First Class meals are being served the Court case will be halted until the Scottish Judge is finished and if the Scottish Judge has consumed champagne (the alcohol of choice in First Class) then the Court case has also to wait until the effects wear off a bit?
Anonymous said...
State Visit of top judge what a joke what right has Gill to represent Scotland HE IS UNELECTED
22 August 2014 12:53
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
And some would argue he is not responsible for his own actions.
Anonymous said...
So,goes to Qatar and not the Scottish Parliament.
Its obvious where his allegiance lies.
Notice not one judge has spoken up in favour of transparency.They are all in it together all up to their necks in fiddles and money no wonder their boss will rather go abroad than go to speak at the parliament about your petition.
22 August 2014 13:22
?£?£?£?£?£?£?£?'bmbmbm
Maybe if the Public Petition Committee MSP's were to offer to bring Lord Gill before their Committee by laying on an executive helicopter with a bottle of Champagne on ice inside it, they may have better luck?
After all, it seems there is an unwritten rule that in order to get something done, you have to show-them-the-money?
This is not a joke......
In a recent poll of 100 Scottish Tax-Payers, they were asked:
What is the most popular mode of transport used by Scottish Judges?
A: By First Class Plane Trips?
B: By The Most Economical Mode Of Transport To Save The Hard Earned Money Of Scottish Tax-Payers?
C: By The Gravy Train?
Answer
96% answered C: By The Gravy Train
2% answered A: By First Class Plane Trips
2% refused to answer on the basis that they were fearful of retribution because everything to do with Scottish Judges was supposed to be a secret....
Just imagine all the business deals between the judges disguised as treks to some boring law meet
They wont be going to listen to 4 hour long chats about the law that is for sure!
It's almost as if there are no rules whatsoever.
They work part time for full time wages?
They fly around the globe, pampered in First Class?
They have Platinum Credit cards to charge up as they see fit?
They pay themselves more than their counter-parts in The rest of the UK?
There is zero confidence in the Scottish Judiciary?
They are unaccountable and anti-transparency?
They cover-up for each other and make the rules up as they go along?
They are Public Servants. Why are we persisting with them?
The question people should be asking is what exactly is Scotland getting in return for all these trips abroad for what is in reality a select club of predominantly very wealthy and very protective elderly men who claim such experience in their decisions they cannot be questioned.
As you said yourself what can we learn from Qatar given their human rights record and everything else.
@ 29 August 2014 18:08
Judges only go to Qatar for the same reason as everyone else.Money.
One thing is for sure ... Qatar wont be giving Scotland any lessons in cleaning up corruption or tax dodging judges, or doing away with quangos and dodgy companies or aleo's laden with vested interests lining their pockets at public expense ...
Maybe the Public Petitions Committee should leave a trail of £50 Pound notes from Lord Gill's door to the Committee room.
I really like your theme on judges and what revealed of their travels
It seems odd to me that so many Scottish Judges allow themselves to work long after they should have retired.
Once a money chaser always a money chaser?
How many Scottish Judges and Sheriffs would we need to get rid of to begin to sort out this problem or is it already beyond fixable?
Would it not be better to buy a First Class Executive Jet to fly our Scottish Judges and Sheriffs all around the World?
It could be called a Liar Jet?
Lower your golf handicap and become a Scottish Judge or Sheriff.
Worldwide access to golf courses on the Tax-Payer.
Plenty of free days off and never work beyond 4pm.
If only this had been thought about sooner we may have had Scottish Judges and Sheriffs representing us at Gleneagles at the Ryder Cup 2014.
It may be that Scottish Judges and Sheriffs could supplement their meagre earnings by becoming Hotel Inspectors?
Whichever posh foreign hotel they are sent to, they just need to say to the Scottish Court Services to come up with a conference with a corresponding date to make it look like it is needed for their work, to dupe the public.
I dont believe for one second the judges are traveling around just to sit in with a group of judges or lawyers.This is all about freebies and holidays for the judiciary who lecture us about respecting their so-called independence so they can carry on lining their pockets!
How many Scottish Judges does it take to change a light bulb?
Answer: 37, because 36 of them are on a Jet Set Flight to sun-tan city?
Some would say that the Law Society of Scotland are responsible for the problem with Scottish Judges and Sheriffs because the Law Society of Scotland have given them free rein to do as they please for their whole career and have routinely rewarded corruption and lies against the Scottish Public?
All aboard the Gravy Train....
Are Scottish Judges and Sheriffs working the required number of hours to justify their massively inflated salary?
It seems that they spend most of their time in the air flying to far off lands to get away from Scotland?
Can we afford Scottish Judges and Sheriffs who spend money on themselves as if it comes from a limitless never ending supply?
For heavens sake, what must be going on in their minds that could lead them to think that lavishing perquisites on themselves is moral or justifiable?
So, this is what happens when Scottish Judges are allowed to make and live by their own rules in total secrecy?
Very good blog Peter.Hope to see the occasional story on the Law Society when there is a break in the battle of the judges!
The BBC recently reported, "Qatar especially attracted criticism for its cloudy links to the group (Islamic State)"
Yet our self appointed King (State Visit) is exposed as smooching up to this evil regime?
Islamic State have just chopped off someone else's head!
Is The Lord President embarrassed about his links to evil?
What are they planning for the new Independent Scotland?
Stoning people in the street or a few public beheadings to subjugate the Scottish People even more?
The word on the street is that Scottish Judges and Sheriffs are looking to raise money (for themselves) by releasing an old song in time for Christmas by John Denver called, 'I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again.....'
Has the LP been to Scone recently? Does he require an extra seat on board his jet for the Crown Jewels?
I thought Judges were to judge not to fly around the world getting a suntan.
I have a fantastic idea to improve the Scottish Justice System.
We could hire a Jumbo Jet and put all of the Scottish judges and sheriffs on it and fly it to the middle of the Sahara and drop them off. Literally.
Do I read this right in the paper the entire Scottish judiciary are all at war over your scrutiny of their trips abroad?
Well done mate!
In response to two unpublished comments identifying members of the judiciary and certain events this will be looked into.
I DO NOT see any reason why judges are flying around like this!
Are they not supposed to be hearing cases in courts??I guess ours here in the USA will be doing it too better get some headlines cookin for them!!
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