The single national Police service for Scotland has admitted paying at least £1,316,819 to external solicitors, QCs, advocates and the courts over a three year period - over and above costs for in-house legal teams.
The largest beneficiaries of public cash from Police Scotland are Clyde & Co (formerly Simpson & Marwick) who were paid £361,801.91.
However, while that firm was still Simpson & Marwick prior to its merger with Clyde & Co, they earned £284,914.15, giving total earnings since January 2014, of £646,716.06.
Other big-earning firms from Police Scotland’s public cash splurge on major law firms were Morton Fraser (£278,069.60) and Ledingham Chalmers (£103,906.08).
However, the figures - released in response to a Freedom of Information request - Police Scotland & SPA Fees to external lawyers, law firms & QCs 2014 to 2017 - are now subject to scrutiny - after journalists questioned the Police as to why over half a million pounds paid by the Police to a law firm named in a £400m collapsed Hedge Fund scandal and a suspended judge were excluded from the figures handed over by Police well out of timescales tolerated by the Scottish Information Commissioner.
It was reported by the Scottish Sun in March 2016, a sum of £187K was paid to lawyer Peter Watson – a sheriff who has been suspended from the judicial bench for well over two years, and a further £364,830 was paid to Levy and Mcrae – the Glasgow based law firm named in a £28m writ in connection with the collapse of the Heather Capital hedge fund, run by Gregory King who is subject to a Crown Office probe now in it’s fourth year.
Police Scotland also disclosed at least £52,014 has been paid to in respect of Opinions of Counsel and Senior Counsel instructed by in-house Legal Services directly and at least £32,378 has been paid to the Scottish Court Service since January 2014 by in-house Legal Services directly.
Police Scotland also disclosed the names of law firms and Advocates Chambers who have received legal fees.
And, today, it has emerged in an additional, three months late FOI disclosure – the controversial Scottish Police Authority (SPA) has admitted to spending millions more on legal fees for it’s own use, with at least £623K spent on external law firms and £435K on it’s own in-house legal teams.
SPA Legal Costs (in-house and Third Party) From Jan 2014 to June 2017 saw the following public cash spends on third party legal costs: £154,449 (2013/14) £104,570 (2014/15) £175,785 (2015/16) £167,667 (2016/17) and £20,543 spent already in this financial year which runs to 2018 making a total of £623,012 on third party legal costs.
Costs for the SPA’s own in-house legal team has now reached £434,512 in just three years.
However, unlike Police Scotland, the secretive Scottish Police Authority refused to identify the names of law firms & counsel involved in it’s £1million plus legal expenses bill.
The SPA’s refusal to identify legal firms via FOI legislation has now been submitted for review, and possible investigation by the Scottish Information Commissioner, after weeks of deliberate delays by the SPA in disclosing the legal costs.
Additionally, questions are also being raised with the Scottish Information Commissioner on Police Scotland’s attitude towards Freedom of Information timescales after weeks of deliberate delays in the force’s handling of FOI requests.
AC White £396; Allan Black & McCaskie £300; Allcourt Solicitors £462; Balfour & Manson £1236.3; Blackadder & McMonagle £342; Brazenall & Orr £168; Carruthers Curdie Sturrock & Co. £324; Clyde & Co.(Simpson & Marwick) £361801.91; Cockburns £54; Corrigal Black £306; Criggies £42; Douglas Gilmour & Son £36; DWF £134.8; Gray & Gray £60; George Mathers & Co £600; Grigor & Young £1920; Hamish L Melrose £540; Hunter & Robertson Solicitors £1872; John Henderson & Sons £2232; Leddingham Chalmers £103906.08; Linda George Family Law £984; MacIntosh Humble £174; Mackie Thomson £96; Mackintosh Wylie £48; Macnabs Solicitors £312; Malcolm & Hutchison £132; Mathie McCluskey £78; McCluskey Browne £2032; McCusker McElroy & Gallanagh £30; McIntyre & Co £258; McLellan Adam Davis £54; MacDonald McIver & Co £353.1; Morton Fraser £278069.6; Patten Prentice £96; Rankin & Aitken £42; Reid Cooper £15901.92 ;Russel & Aitken £60; Russell, Gibson McCaffrey £4084.8; Simpson and Marwick £284914.15; Stewart Balfour £48; Thorntons £3760.16; W & AS Bruce £60 TOTAL: £1,068,320.82
The sum paid to advocates broken down by chamber and year are as follows:-
Chambers fees from 2014 - 2017: 5 Essex court £16620; Ampersand £84000; Arnot Manderson £12840; Axiom £8640; Black £6600; Compass £20334; Terra Firma £3780 TOTAL: £152,814
The National newspaper reports on the Police spend on external law firms, here:
Martin Hannan Journalist 13th August
Police Scotland's legal costs were exposed after FoI requests
DESPITE having its own legal team, Police Scotland has spent more than £1000 per day on external legal lawyers and court costs since January, 2014.
In the three years and six months to June of this year, Police Scotland paid out £1,316,819 to external solicitors, QCs, advocates and the courts, according to figures released under Freedom of Information (FoI) rules.
Peter Cherbi, the legal issues campaigner and blogger who made the FoI requests, has criticised the force after it refused to answer The National’s questions on the issue, directing us to use FoI questions.
Cherbi said: “There are firms on the FoI list provided by Police Scotland who specialise in legal issues relating to defence of damages claims and other similar legal issues, yet at this time the force appears unwilling to cough up the real reasons for running to lawyers at all hours of the day.”
More than 950 fee notes were issued to Police Scotland by law firms and individual solicitors, with £32,378 paid directly to the Scottish Courts Service for costs incurred in numerous actions.
More than 40 law practices across Scotland were paid for work, some of which is believed to have been connected to the many police property disposals which have taken place over the past few years since the national force was created in 2013. Other firms were paid for expertise in various personnel and legally complex matters, and QCs, solicitor and advocates all represented the force in court, including cases at the Court of Session.
In all, solicitors received £1,068,320 in that time. The National can reveal that the biggest earners from police work were Clyde & Co (formerly Simpson & Marwick) who were paid £361,801.91 for their involvement in such high-profile cases as former Assistant Chief Constable John Mauger’s failed action for judicial review of a decision by then Chief Constable Sir Stephen House – Maria Maguire QC acted for the force in that case.
While that firm was still Simpson & Marwick prior to its merger with Clyde & Co, they earned £284,914.15, giving total earnings since January 2014, of £646,716.06.
Other big-earning firms were Morton Fraser (£278,069.60) and Ledingham Chalmers (£103,906.08). By contrast, Renfrewshire law firm McCusker, McElroy and Gallanagh were paid just £30.
The total sum paid to advocates and QCs was £152,814 – in its response to the FoI request, Police Scotland explained: “These figures relates to instances where advocates have been instructed directly by Legal Services.”
The force’s response added: “I regret to inform you that I am unable to provide you with the figure in respect of fees charged on occasions where Counsel and/or Senior Counsel have been instructed by external solicitors acting for the Chief Constable as it would prove too costly to do so within the context of the fee regulations.”
The response did state, “951 fee notes have been rendered by external solicitors since January 2014”.
The National asked the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) which is supposed to superintend the national force if it was aware of the extent of usage of lawyers outside the legal services section of Police Scotland. We also asked if Police Scotland had to pay the legal costs of anybody taking out a court action against the force, and why do many solicitors firms were used?
We also asked what is the annual budget for the legal services section and asked both Police Scotland and the SPA to say if any of the costs were for defending Police Scotland personnel accused of crimes, or if any external cost was incurred in defending Police Scotland personnel in civil cases. The reply we received was “you would have to submit an FOI request in relation to these questions”.
Peter Cherbi commented: “While chief constables and senior officers have been talking up their lack of resources and funding in public, Police Scotland have been keeping law firms afloat with huge public spends of funds better spent on front line policing.
“The force’s overuse of law firms for legal action and other legal services must be opened for public inspection on a case-by-case basis. What are Police Scotland spending all this money on lawyers, and why? What are the processes employed by Police Scotland for using legal services? A key question given they have their own in-house lawyers.
“The public have a right to know and the Scottish Parliament should be looking to raise questions on this issue, which would make for some interesting exchanges before the Scottish Parliament’s Justice sub committee on Policing.
“This addiction to lawyers and exorbitant legal fees by Police Scotland and other public bodies must be brought to a halt as the operational budgets for policing and any public service are not meant to act as unaccountable public subsidies for the legal profession.”
Previous articles on the Scottish Police Authority can be found here: Scottish Police Authority - Poor governance, private meetings & lack of accountability at Police regulator
Each feeding the other to stay in business.
ReplyDeleteThe true figure will be much higher probably around £5 million a year or so and if you multiply across public authorities into the hundreds of millions at least.
Headline should read COPS & ROBBERS!
ReplyDeleteWhat about all the nagging we hear from the cops and Sturgeon about the Police vat bill?
ReplyDeleteThey like to slap that one around like an old wet fish but say nothing about millions going on lawyers every year!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-36491598
Police Scotland cannot reclaim £76m VAT bill from last three years
9 June 2016
Scotland's single police force has paid £76.5m in VAT since it was formed three years ago and remains unable to reclaim the tax.
Police Scotland Chief Constable Phil Gormley revealed the figure in a letter to the Commons Home Affairs Committee.
Local police and fire services were exempt from VAT but this ended with the creation of national bodies in 2013.
The VAT issue remains controversial as Audit Scotland recently warned Police Scotland faced an £85m funding gap.
Westminster's Home Affairs Committee recently requested information from Police Scotland regarding its work training police forces of foreign governments.
Local control
At the end of a submission, sent on 2 June, Chief Constable Gormley stated: "Finally you ask, in reference to a question posed by Mr McDonald (SNP MP Stuart McDonald), how much VAT Police Scotland is unable to reclaim, or has paid.
The situation arose as policing and fire services in Scotland were previously controlled by local council which can claim back VAT.
The new national forces are controlled by the Scottish government, which cannot.
The anomaly was known about when the Scottish government was piloting its single forces Bill through Holyrood.
It has since lobbied Westminster for a reintroduction of the VAT exemption, without success.
Following the committee meeting, a Scottish government spokeswoman said: "We remain deeply concerned about the glaring disparity of treatment between the service in Scotland and those in other parts of the UK where none of the other 44 forces have to pay VAT.
"We will continue to press the UK Government to bring their VAT status into line with all other British and Northern Irish Forces, as requested in the letter of 24 February 2016."
Funding concerns
Recent concerns about budget shortfalls within Police Scotland have ensured that the issue has remained topical.
In October last year, the Scottish Police Authority, which oversees the national force, heard that Police Scotland was facing a £25m budget overspend by the end of the financial year.
Two months later, then Finance Minister John Swinney announced an extra £55m in funding for Police Scotland in his draft budget.
The same week, financial watchdog Audit Scotland warned of "significant issues" in the force's accounts, with a potential funding gap of £85m developing by 2018/19.
The annual VAT bill for the single Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is estimated to be about £10m.
Your cops and lawyers are on the take there will be serious favors handed out for those legal contracts believe me
ReplyDeletebe cheaper to pay the criminals not to commit crime the way this bunch are frittering away public money on themselves
ReplyDelete@ 17 August 2017 at 18:59
ReplyDeleteCorrect. If you take legal fees across public bodies,local authorities and Scotgov the totals are well into 100's of millions, therefore the Law Society of Scotland's claim Scotland's legal services sector is worth over a billion to the economy is actually more about plundering half the amount from the public purse and all the while demanding more.
Superbly detailed report.
ReplyDeleteIt is no surprise to see the notorious Edinburgh firm of Simpson and Marwick involved in this public funds junket, fortunately the internet guarantees that past behaviour can not be kept hidden from the public - even after a change of name.
The breathtaking nerve of the Police to knowingly and deliberately withhold information relating to payments of £364,830 to Levy and Mcrae - solicitors at the heart of a multi-million pound Hedge Fund scandal - is absolutely outrageous!
Doubtless such behaviour will not come as any surprise to the new Judicial Complaints Reviewer Mr Gordon, formerly Deputy Chief Constable of Tayside Police.
Why is no-one in the SNP shouting about this in the running joke that passes for a Scottish parliament......oh I forgot, Nicola Sturgeon is a lawyer.
Imagine that - Cops dont want to tell they paid you know who extra as well as the law firm in the writ!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeleteEach feeding the other to stay in business.
The true figure will be much higher probably around £5 million a year or so and if you multiply across public authorities into the hundreds of millions at least.
17 August 2017 at 18:59
My sentiments exactly.
Have to wonder who all the owners of sold off Police property are?
ReplyDeleteLawyers judges and cops by any chance? I am sure there will be hidden scandals among that property sale racket!
Diary of Injustice said...
ReplyDelete@ 17 August 2017 at 18:59
Correct. If you take legal fees across public bodies,local authorities and Scotgov the totals are well into 100's of millions, therefore the Law Society of Scotland's claim Scotland's legal services sector is worth over a billion to the economy is actually more about plundering half the amount from the public purse and all the while demanding more.
18 August 2017 at 11:26
Bang on Peter.You are 110% correct!
In reality the billions lawyers are taking comes from taxpayers more than anything else now and of course those they rip off in court with the never ending promises of legal victories turned sour after years in front of a crooked judge!