The petition calls for the creation of a publicly available register of judicial interests – containing information on judges’ backgrounds, figures relating to personal wealth, undeclared earnings, business & family connections inside & outside of the legal profession, membership of organisations, property and land, offshore investments, hospitality, details on recusals and other information routinely lodged in registers of interest across all walks of public life in the UK and around the world.
However, EIGHT YEARS on from when the petition was originally filed with Holyrood's Public Petitions Committee in October 2012 - there has been little movement on creating a register of judicial interests for all members of Scotland's judiciary.
The Public Petitions Committee’s support for creating the register of judicial interests and transfer of work to the Justice Committee - was reported in detail here: JUDICIAL REGISTER: Holyrood Petitions Committee calls for legislation to require Scotland’s judges to declare their interests in a register of judicial Interests
And - despite cross party support for the petition during a full Holyrood debate in 2014, and backing from the Public Petitions Committee who passed the petition to the Justice Committee with a recommendation in May 2018 - Scotland's 700 strong judges continue to resist calls to declare their interests in exactly the same way all 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament are required to declare.
While Lord Carloway continues to fight calls for judicial transparency - the existence of a register of interests for the quango which oversees the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) – gives a miniscule, carefully controlled snapshot of interests - which are far from the reality of a globetrotting top judge who has been on the judicial bench for two decades on a sizeable public salary.
During 2016-18, the previous, and sole declaration of Lord Carloway in the SCTS register was that of "Trustee Scottish Art Club".
After nearly two decades on the bench as a judge, connections to countless law firms, cases, decisions, and politically charged campaigns such as the removal of corroboration from Scots Law – one could be forgiven for questioning how and why Scotland’s top judge on a quarter of a million pounds a year – with a pension to match – gets away with declaring working with art as an interest - and nothing else.
The remaining declarations of interests - which notably do not include any references to law firms, property or financial interests are as follows:
Lord President - The Right Hon. Lord Carloway (real name: Colin John Maclean Sutherland) : Appointments Ex Officio: Trustee for the Faculty of Advocates; Abbotsford Collection Trust.
Lord Justice Clerk - The Right Hon. Lady Dorrian: Directorships: Cranley School Ltd; Glenside Court Ltd; Franco- British Lawyers Society Ltd; Appointments Ex Officio: Commissioner of the Honours of Scotland; Senior Commissioner, Queen Victoria School, Dunblane; Trusteeships: Cranley Trust; Faculty of Advocates 1985 Trust; Scottish Arts Club;
Rt Hon. Lady Smith Trusteeships: President and Trustee - Friends of the Music of St. Giles Cathedral; Other Appointments & Interests: Chair - Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry; Honorary Bencher - Gray’s Inn
Sheriff Principal Duncan Murray: Appointments Ex Officio: Commissioner, Northern Lighthouse Board; Trustee Kibble Education and Care Centre
Sheriff Aisha Anwar: No declarations
Sheriff A Grant McCulloch: Trusteeships: Chair West Fife Education Trust. Other Appointments & Interests: Chair Relationship Scotland – Couple Counselling, Fife; Committee Member Cammo Residents Association; Chair – Discipline Committee ICAS; Chair East & West Fife Education Trusts
Morna Rae JP: Appointments Ex Officio: Justice of the Peace; Other Appointments & Interests: Employee North Ayrshire Council Church of Scotland Elder
Dr Joseph Morrow QC: Directorship: Non Executive Director, St. John’s Scotland Appointments Ex Officio: Lord Lyon King of Arms; Member of Judicial Council Trusteeships: Trustee, Mudie Trust, Dundee; Trustee, Kidney Trust, Dundee; Trustee, Tealing Community Hall; Trustee, Scottish Churches Trust; Chairman & Trustee of Highland Cadet Force Foundation; Other Appointments & Interests: Legal Assessor, South Episcopal Church President, Society of Messengers at Arms President, Scottish Genealogical Society Patron, Scottish Family History Society
Dr Kirsty J Hood QC: Directorship: Scottish Universities Law Institute Ltd. Trusteeships: The Stair Society’s Council; Trustee, Clark Foundation Education; Other Appointments & Interests: Self-employed Advocate; Regular ad hoc employment with the University of Edinburgh – delivering seminars on LLB courses; Regular ad hoc employment with the University of Glasgow– delivering lectures / seminars on LLB courses; Periodically providing materials for LexisPSL Dispute Resolution (online services – LexisNexis); Clerk of Faculty – Faculty of Advocates (non remunerated); Member of the Scottish Committee of Frank-British Lawyers Society (non remunerated); Contributor of updates to “Scottish Family Law Service” (LexisNexis Publishers); Guernsey Financial Services Commission’s Panel of Senior Decision Makers.
Simon JD Catto: Other Appointments & Interests: Member of Cornerstone Exchange LLP Member of XT Property LLP Member of Addleshaw Goddard LLP (Head of Litigation Scotland)
Professor R Hugh MacDougall: Trusteeships: Cunningham Trust; Cross Trust; St. Columba’s Hospice; Other Appointments & Interests: St Giles Cathedral Elder, Edinburgh
Joe Al-Gharabally: Directorship: Ernst & Young
Col. David Mcilroy: Other Appointments & Interests: Independent Prison Monitor (Voluntary position supporting HM Inspector of Prisons in Scotland)
Eric McQueen: Appointments Ex Officio: Member of the Scottish Civil Justice Council
Further information in relation to SCTS Board members shareholdings, which was only obtained via a Freedom of Information request to the Scottish Courts & Tribunals Service reveals the following shareholdings declarations:
Rt Hon Lady Smith, President of Scottish Tribunals: Shareholdings: Artemis Fund Managers; Barclays; Ishares PLC; Royal London; Axa Framlington UK; Majedie Asset Management; X Trackers S&P; Blackrock; Invesco; Robeco Capital.
Sheriff Aisha Anwar: Shareholdings: SRZ Commercial Ltd
Sheriff A Grant McCulloch: Shareholdings: Scotgold Resources Ltd
Simon JD Catto: Shareholdings: Cornerstone Asset Management General Investments; Jupiter Merlin Income Portfolio; Schroder MM Diversity Z inc; M&G Recovery 1 Inc; M&G Corporate Bond Fund.
Joe Al-Gharabally: Shareholdings: Ryan Air; AT&T.
HOLYROOD’S EIGHT YEAR JUDICIAL INTERESTS PROBE:
The judicial register petition - first debated at the Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee in January 2013 – calls for the creation of a publicly available register of judicial interests.
A full debate on the proposal to require judges to declare their interests was held at the Scottish Parliament on 9 October 2014 - ending in a motion calling on the Scottish Government to create a register of judicial interests. The motion was overwhelmingly supported by MSPs from all political parties.
The lengthy Scottish Parliament probe on judicial interests has generated over sixty two submissions of evidence, at least twenty one Committee hearings, a private meeting and fifteen speeches by MSPs during a full Holyrood debate and has since been taken over by Holyrood’s Justice Committee after a recommendation to take the issue forward from the Public Petitions Committee in March 2018.
A full report containing video footage of every hearing, speech, and evidence sessions at the Scottish Parliament on Petition PE1458 can be found here: Scottish Parliament debates, speeches & evidence sessions on widely supported judicial transparency petition calling for a Register of Interests for Scotland's judiciary.
The Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee has backed calls for further work on the judicial interests register during at least THREE further Holyrood hearings, including the latest hearing from June 2019, reported here: JUDICIAL REGISTER: Justice Committee to hear evidence from ex-Judicial Investigator, top judge on judicial interests register, MSP says Scottish judges should not be involved with Gulf States implicated in unlawful wars, mistreatment of women's rights
A report on the Justice Committee’s consideration of the Judicial Interests Register Petition in May 2019 can be found here: JUDICIAL REGISTER: Justice Committee investigate approach to judges’ interests in other countries – MSPs say ‘Recusals register not comprehensive enough’ ‘Openness & transparency do not contradict independence of the judiciary’
A report on the Justice Committee’s consideration of the Judicial Interests Register Petition in February 2019 can be found here: JUDICIAL REGISTER - MSPs urged to take forward SEVEN year petition to create a Register of Judges’ Interests as Holyrood Justice Committee handed evidence of Scottish Judges serving in Gulf states regimes known to abuse Human Rights
TWO TOP SCOTS JUDGES FAIL IN HOLYROOD JUDICIAL TRANSPARENCY PROBE:
Both of Scotland’s recent top judges failed to convince MSPs that a register of interests is not required for judges – even after both Lord Presidents attempted to press home the existence of judicial oaths and ethics – which are both written, and approved by – judges.
Video footage and a full report on Lord Brian Gill giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament in November 2015 can be found here: JUDGE ANOTHER DAY: Sparks fly as top judge demands MSPs close investigation on judges’ secret wealth & interests - Petitions Committee Chief brands Lord Gill’s evidence as “passive aggression”
Video footage and a full report on Lord Carloway (Colin Sutherland) giving widely criticised evidence to the Scottish Parliament in July 2017 can be found here: REGISTER TO JUDGE: Lord Carloway criticised after he blasts Parliament probe on judicial transparency - Top judge says register of judges’ interests should only be created if judiciary discover scandal or corruption within their own ranks
Previous articles on the lack of transparency within Scotland’s judiciary, investigations by Diary of Injustice including reports from the media, and video footage of debates at the Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee can be found here : A Register of Interests for Scotland's Judiciary.
so if I read this correct most agree on the petition but are too afraid too corrupt too lazy or too involved in their own scandal to pass it into law
ReplyDeleteScotland's parliament really is a waste of space even more so than London
Obviously the concerning details to the anti register judges are in the shareholdings disclosure and this is why you have to ask for it via freedom of information.
ReplyDeleteAlso well done for posting all the evidence so we can see for ourselves.
Curious the declarations of Lord Carloway are listed separately when as you may be aware the Faculty of Advocates own Abbotsford House and all its works royalties and so on.
ReplyDeleteAlso you may recall the SNP Government handed out millions to the Faculty of Advocates under the guise of renovations on the "crumbling house" doubtless to project mad SNP ideology and Faculty power nationally and internationally
In more sleaze for Abbotsford the National Lottery via their Heritage Fund was persuaded to fork out nearly £5 million to the Faculty of Advocates for the work
The local authority Scottish Borders Council also pledged over a million pounds to the Faculty of Advocates effort.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sir-walter-scotts-home-saved-for-nation-by-pound8m-package-0t7h5572lmd
Sir Walter Scott’s home saved for nation by £8m package
Urgent programme to save Abbotsford, near Melrose, expected to be finished by next year
Mike Wade
May 11 2010, 1:01am, The Times
The future of Abbotsford, the celebrated home of Sir Walter Scott and, for two centuries a place of pilgrimage for his admirers, has been secured by a £2.45 million award of taxpayers’ money.
The grant — which comprises £1 million from the Scottish government, £800,000 from Historic Scotland and £650,000 from Scottish Enterprise — was announced today as part of an overall £8 million package by Fiona Hyslop, the Culture Minister .
She said that the renovation of the crumbling house near Melrose would help it to become a heartbeat for the Scottish Borders and would help celebrate Scotts work nationally and to project it internationally
I see Lady Anne Smith is in the register list and you published her shareholdings.Very good Peter.You always get to the truth!
ReplyDeleteAre you aware of how she is running the £27Million pound Child Abuse Inquiry? Story from Daily Mail for you and readers
Child abuse probe judge accused of 'discrimination'
GRAHAM GRANT 24 Oct 2019
THE head of Scotland's £27million child abuse inquiry is facing an employment tribunal over claims of discrimination.
High Court judge Lady Smith, chairman of the statutory probe, is being taken to court by advocate John Halley.
The 56-year-old was one of the counsel to the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI), which published limited details yesterday. It came as a tribunal judge said a hearing on the discrimination case would be held in public.
Yesterday, the SCAI said Lady Smith 'denies that he [Mr Halley] was discriminated against'.
It added: 'The actings about which he [Mr Halley] complains were carried out by her [Lady Smith] in the performance of her duties as chair of the inquiry, in relation to that counsel having a conflict of interest arising from his previous employment as a residential care worker. Her position is that the law does not permit him to pursue this claim.' The case will be discussed at a procedural hearing on Monday and Tuesday. The disclosure has created yet more controversy for the landmark probe into allegations of institutional child abuse. In 2017, the former head of the SCAI, Susan O'Brien, QC, lost a £500,000 damages case against the Scottish Government. She claimed she had been forced to step down and accused ministers of interfering in the inquiry.
But a Court of Session judge threw out her case and described her allegations of breach of contract as 'misconceived'.
The QC, who had been appointed head of the SCAI in July 2015, resigned a year later.
It came after trauma expert Dr Claire Fyvie had raised concerns about Miss O'Brien's 'attitudes and beliefs' towards victims.
The SCAI was launched in 2015 and aimed to 'shine a light in the dark corners of the past'.
It began its first public hearings in 2017 and has heard evidence from a number of organisations accused of abuse, including the Catholic Church, which admitted that some paedophile priests were sent away to be 'fixed' at a hospital in Ireland.
The inquiry had been expected to report back within four years.
But Deputy First Minister John Swinney extended this timescale because of the number of witnesses coming forward. The SCAI will publish its final findings 'as soon as reasonably practicable'.
Some of Scotland's top private schools, including Gordonstoun, in Moray - attended by Prince Charles - and Edinburgh's Fettes College, where Tony Blair was a pupil, are under investigation.
An interim report published last October said children at two Lanarkshire care homes run by the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul were sexually abused, beaten and humiliated.
Seventeen people were arrested or reported to prosecutors.
The Scottish Government is developing a redress scheme for abuse survivors, which it is hoped will be set up before the end of this parliamentary term, in 2021.
A Government spokesman said: 'The independence of all public inquiries, including the SCAI, is enshrined in statute and, as such, this [tribunal] is a matter for the inquiry itself. Given this is a live case, we can't comment further.'
and this from Russell Findlay on Lord Carloway I saw it on your twitter feed.Very good!
ReplyDeleteHow did Lord Carloway get a hold of that email to complain about the QC? We all know from reading your blog there is no justice for party litigants in Scotland.There should be an investigation into Carloway and his motives for that complaint!
https://stv.tv/news/scotland/1441981-scotland-s-top-judge-complained-over-qc-s-no-justice-email/
Top judge's QC email complaint 'totally without merit'
Lord Carloway accused Andrew Smith of misconduct over 'no justice' comment.
By Russell Findlay STV News 30 October 2019
Scotland's top judge complained to legal watchdogs over a leading QC's claim that people who represent themselves in court don't get justice.
Andrew Smith QC sent a private email advising a client that going to court without a lawyer - known as a party litigant - was unwise.
In the 2014 email to the client's solicitor, he said: "The Scottish Courts do not cut any slack to party litigants because of their status. In fact, in my experience, they generally enjoy cutting them off at the knees before doing so above the neck. If he goes alone he can forget about justice instructing the result!"
Lord President Lord Carloway complained to the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) that Mr Smith's comment was professional misconduct and undermined mutual trust between lawyers and judges.
Lord Carloway also alleged it was "detrimental to the public confidence in the administration of justice".
But his complaint was rejected for investigation by the SLCC, who said it was "totally without merit".
The decision by the country's top judge to formally complain to watchdogs about a prominent QC has surprised some in the legal establishment.
One senior figure said: "The email was sent five years ago and contained candid advice about party litigants. It was a private communication to a solicitor and would never have been made public.
"Quite how the Lord President got hold of this and then thought it worthy of complaint is unclear. It seems ill-judged and for the SLCC to dismiss it in such strong terms is telling.
"Smith is no soft touch and is very experienced but was really taken aback. One concern is about what happens next time he is Lord Carloway's court."
In SLCC documents seen by STV News, Mr Smith told the legal watchdog that his confidential email was never meant to be made public and that courts don't give party litigants "excessive latitude".
He also said he is entitled to express an opinion, citing Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights guaranteeing freedom of expression.
The SLCC added: "Mr Smith states that he provided advice in the email with Mr X's [the client's] best interests in mind in a manner that plainly made use of hyperbole in a tone that was not intended to be taken literally."
The lawyer has over 30 years' experience in England and Scotland and currently represents David Grier whose prosecution connected to the 2011 takeover of Rangers collapsed.
Mr Smith is pursuing Mr Grier's £2m claim against Police Scotland for allegedly manipulating the legal system, which they deny.
The complaint emerged as another senior judge faces an employment tribunal claim by an experienced lawyer.
Advocate John Halley is taking action against Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry chair Lady Smith for alleged discrimination which she is contesting.
Mr Smith declined to be interviewed by STV News and said only that he had raised "wider issues" with Gordon Jackson QC, Dean of the Faculty of Advocates - the trade body for the majority of Scotland's advocates and QCs. A Faculty spokesman also decline to comment.
Lord Carloway and the Judicial Office for Scotland has been approached for comment.
Well well well
ReplyDeleteThe Faculty of Advocates Lord Carloway Abbotsford the SNP and ten million pounds of public and lotto ticket money now this is an interesting combination isn't it Peter
Is Carloway registered as a trustee for the Faculty of Advocates under his judicial title of Carloway or under his real name of Colin John Maclean Sutherland?
Very interesting this turn of events
This Abbotsford 10 million supposed restoration car park and tarting up an old mansion is beginning to sound like a real den of corruption
ReplyDeletehttps://www.scotsman.com/news-2-15012/lottery-cash-means-walter-scott-s-beloved-abbotsford-will-get-163-10m-facelift-1-818786
Lottery cash means Walter Scott's beloved Abbotsford will get £10m facelift
Published: 17:00 Monday 26 July 2010
WORK to transform the home of one of Scotland's most celebrated writers will get under way next year thanks to a £4.85 million National Lottery grant.
A complete restoration of Sir Walter Scott's Borders bolthole at Abbotsford, near Melrose, and the creation of a new visitor centre in its grounds have been backed by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The project — spearheaded by a trust set up four years ago to take over the running of the 19th century baronial mansion — has now raised 9m towards a 10m fundraising target, after previous backing was secured from the Scottish Government and Scottish Borders Council.
The future of Abbotsford House, which is home to a huge archive of Scott's work and literary collection, was thrown into doubt when the last of his descendants, Dame Jean Maxwell-Stuart, died in 2004.
The overhaul of Abbotsford will see full repair and restoration of the property, the creation of new self-catering accommodation and new conservation and interpretation facilities.
Security measures and environmental conditions are being introduced to safeguard the long-term future of the collections at Abbotsford, which has changed little since it first opened to the public in 1833, just five months after the writer's death.
The visitor centre will chart the changing face of the estate, which had only a cottage and a farm steading when Scott — famed for novels such as Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, Waverley and Heart of Midlothian — bought it in 1811.
The complex, to be built in a woodland area around 500 metres away from the main property, will also house a shop, caf and reception area for visiting groups and school parties.
Although Scott was born in Edinburgh, Abbotsford was his most prized possession.
The mansion, which took the writer some six years to build, is home to a vast collection of historic relics, weapons and armour which belonged to the likes of Bonnie Prince Charlie and Rob Roy MacGregor.
After Scott's death, Abbotsford was cared for by his family until the death of his great-great-great granddaughter six years ago.
Lord Sanderson, chairman of the Abbotsford Trust. said: "Our plans for Abbotsford aim to create a legacy for one of Scotland's most important sons and through this, create a financially viable, world-class visitor attraction that will bring lasting economic and cultural benefit.
"This announcement means that we can start to put our plans into action and create a world-class visitor experience."
Fundraising from private donors, trusts and sponsors is expected to continue throughout this year to make up the 1m gap. A fresh campaign will be launched during the refurbishment to create a 3m endowment fund to ensure the trust will not be dependant on any future public funding.
Colin McLean, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, said: "Sir Walter Scott is recognised as the man who re-invented our Scottish national identity, then presented it to the world through his literature. Through this project, Abbotsford can once again take its place on the world's stage."
Scottish Secretary Michael Moore, who is also MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, added: "Sir Walter Scott was the first English language writer to have an international career during his own lifetime."
Seen this? relates to the Abbotsford Collection Trust on the Lord Carloway declaration
ReplyDeleteFACULTY OF ADVOCATES ABBOTSFORD COLLECTION TRUST
ACCESS PROTOCOL
1. This protocol is to be used to deal with all requests for access to the Collection. Access means the consultation of items within premises agreed by the Faculty of Advocates Abbotsford Collection Trust.
The Collection comprises:
(a) (i) the books in the Library and Study of Abbotsford as listed in the
Catalogue of the Library at Abbotsford, 1838 (commonly known as the Cochrane catalogue)
(ii) the additions to this catalogue listed in Appendix 1 of the Management Agreement between the Abbotsford Trust and the Collection Trust and as more recently catalogued online by the Faculty since 2003
(b) (i) those items listed in the Lyon & Turnbull inventory and valuation
ref. INS/AUG/1500/FADV, dated 13th August 2005 (ii) other items in the 1839 Disposition and Deed of Entail of the Estate of Abbotsford and forming Appendix 2 of the Management Agreement referred to above .
2. All requests for access and use of items from the Collection should be made in writing to the Senior Librarian, Advocates Library, by emailing abbotsford@advocates.org.uk. She will seek permission from the Joint Collections Management Committee (JCMC). In the Senior Librarian’s absence, enquiries will be dealt with by the Librarian: Bibliographic Services. Applicants should supply the name, full contact details, occupation and qualifications of all those it is proposed will have access to the collections. References may be required.
3. Persons requesting access must specify which items are required.
3.1 For printed items (referred to in 1(a) above), the following information should be provided:
• bibliographic details as shown either in the online catalogue of the Advocates Library
(http://www.advocates.org.uk/library/catalogue.html) or the Abbotsford Catalogue of 1838
• the reasons why it is necessary to consult the Abbotsford copies of items and
• the purpose for which they are required.
3.2 For other items (referred to in 1(b) above), the following information
should be provided:
• sufficient descriptive information to enable identification
• the reasons why it is necessary to consult these specific items
• the purpose for which they are required
4. All requests will be responded to within 5 working days. However, requestors should allow 6 weeks prior to their planned consultation date so that books can be brought to Edinburgh from Abbotsford. Permission will be subject to the following conditions:
(a) that access will not adversely affect the physical condition of the items
(b) that contents of items in 1(a) may be transcribed but that no part of any item may be copied or reproduced without permission of the JCMC
(c) images of items in the Collection may be made during consultation at the National Library of Scotland and in accordance with their terms and conditions for self-photography published on their website. Any other image-taking requires the permission of the JCMC
(d) images may not be reproduced without permission of the JCMC
5. Any publication based on items or including images from the Collection shall include appropriate acknowledgement that the items are part of the collection of the Faculty of Advocates Abbotsford Collection Trust.
6. While the JCMC will normally deal with all requests for access, in the event of the JCMC being unavailable, the Keeper of the Advocates Library, the Senior Librarian of the Advocates Library or the Honorary Librarian for Abbotsford or their nominated deputies may deal with urgent requests.
Contacts
Keeper of the Advocates Library - Mungo Bovey QC
Honorary Librarian - Prof. Alison Lumsden
Senior Librarian - Sara Berry
Librarian: Bibliographic Services - Angela Schofield -
21 November 2018
Abbotsford is an absolute dump in the middle of the Borders dump near Gala there are far better places to see in Scotland than wander round a dusty old library owned by one of the biggest criminal lawyer gangs on the go who demand off the record cash from their clients and insinuate they know the judge hearing a case blah blah for £20 grand
ReplyDeleteaye wherever there is money the judges are hanging around no wonder they are afraid of your petition and the msps know it
ReplyDeleteI think the admin of this site is truly working hard for his
ReplyDeleteweb page, since here every data is quality based material.
after taking 10 millions from the SNP gov and lottery the Faculty of Abbotsford Advocates and their pals in the judiciary are now running at a loss!
ReplyDeleteSurprise! Another dump owned by the most widely known criminal gangs of lawyers on the go and kept going by taxpayers! I bet they are funneling legal aid into it too!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-49892323
Abbotsford House: Sir Walter Scott's home hit by cold snap
1 October 2019
A cold snap in 2018 has been blamed for the losses but there has been an upturn in visitor numbers this year
The trust which manages Sir Walter Scott's former home has announced a loss of more than £60,000 for 2018.
The Abbotsford Trust blamed an extreme cold snap at the start of the year which resulted in burst pipes and snow plough charges.
Thanks to those in the comments section who published info re the Faculty of Advocates and the Abbotsford Trust, cash grants from various sources etc
ReplyDeleteCertainly of interest now Scotland's top judge has declared interests relating to these matters.
In relation to unpublished comments, these issues will be looked at.Further detail via the blog email would be appreciated.
A friend on fb alerted me to your blog!
ReplyDeletefor your info they are keeping the visitor numbers up by bussing in local schools and demanding donations My kids have both been there and like a comment above they said it was a total dump and waste of time
Aside from your always excellent and detailed posts along with the actual documents instead of us being told by some rag or the anti Scottish BBC it happened but no proof
ReplyDeletehas anyone noticed the hootsmon and BBC can always be relied on to post begging letters and glowing reviews of the Faculty of advocates and Law society
Who the hell cares about some long dead sheriff from 200 years ago when money should now be used for building homes and putting lives right instead of building money making rackets and mausoleums to lawyers and judges
Thanks for publishing my comments re Abbotsford.
ReplyDeleteWere you unaware of how the Faculty of Advocates set up a trust to swindle the bank of public money to work on their dusty old country retreat at Abbotfsford?
I can provide more material if you are interested.
Somehow and probably without too much difficulty the Abbotsford mafia and their legal friends arm twisted the SNP Government and Historic Scotland to block a housing plan because it would spoil their view of the sheep and the trees.
https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/news/scottish-ministers-reject-housing-plans-for-netherbarns-1-96593
Scottish ministers reject housing plans for Netherbarns
Updated: 12:13 Wednesday 12 September 2007
A PROPOSAL to build 79 houses at Netherbarns just south of Galashiels and across the Tweed from historic Abbotsford House has been rejected by Scottish ministers, writes Andrew Keddie.
The rebuff, announced this week, represents a major blow for Scottish Borders Council whose planning committee invoked an interim housing policy – ahead of the still-to-be ratified Local Plan – in May last year to Kelso builders M & J Ballantyne for the 20-acre site in May last year.
That decision was “called in” because Historic Scotland had objected, along with the National Trust for Scotland and the trustees of Abbotsford House.
The policy was deployed by SBC so that planning applications could be determined for sites currently unzoned for housing but included in what was then the draft Local Plan.
A public inquiry was held over three weeks in January before Scottish Government Reporter Michael Thomson.
He recommended the bid be refused and that has now been endorsed by Scottish ministers. The decision is final.
AND
ReplyDeleteThe news gets worse
The Abbotsford mafia and their interests in the legal sector also managed to get the SNP Government to BLOCK the construction of a PRIMARY SCHOOL for kids
all because the Faculty want to keep their unobstructed view of the sheep and trees and no doubt all the public money flowing into their little racket just outside Galashiels.
https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/news/holyrood-planners-rule-out-building-school-at-netherbarns-1-217514
Holyrood planners rule out building school at Netherbarns
Published: 15:32 Tuesday 12 October 2010
SCOTTISH Government planners have ruled that the sprawling Netherbarns site on the outskirts of Galashiels cannot host a new primary school to serve the town.
The 20-acre sloping location, on the other side of the Tweed from historic Abbotsford House, has been removed from Scottish Borders Council’s Local Plan amendments as one of six search areas for a school to serve Galashiels.
News of the decision, conveyed to councillors yesterday, was greeted with “deep disappointment” by Michael Ballantyne of Kelso-based housebuilders M. & J. Ballantyne which bought the land for around £2million from Dominic Scott in December 2005. That looked a shrewd deal six months later when his company was granted consent by SBC’s planning committee to build 79 detached houses there, despite objections from a variety of conservation groups concerned about the visual impact on Abbotsford.
Other dissenters cited the fact the site was outwith the town boundary and not earmarked for housing in the prevailing Local Plan, although the council defended the decision, having invoked an interim policy to ensure there was sufficient land supply to meet the business case requirements for new houses to justify the Borders railway project.
However, the objections of Scottish Government agency Historic Scotland saw a public inquiry being held and determining, in September 2007, that the Ballantyne application should be refused. The site was also proscribed from housing development in another public inquiry into SBC’s new draft Local Plan.
The reporter at the latter inquiry concluded: “Development of the site would be undesirable because of the potential risk of damage to a very important landscape, historic and cultural interests and the contribution of tourism to the Borders economy.”
Having accepted that knock-back, the council, during the finalised Local Plan amendment process last year, identified Netherbarns as one of six possible sites for a new primary school.
This week, reporters from the Scottish Government’s directorate of planning and environmental appeals delivered their verdict on all the amendments, having considered some 300 objections spanning 130 issues in the blueprint. In the vast majority of cases, these arbiters, acting on behalf of Scottish ministers, supported the local authority, but ordered the removal of Netherbarns as a school search area.
The determination, from reporter Martin Seddon, chimes with previous inquiry findings.
“I conclude the benefits from developing a school at Netherbarns [in an Area of Great Landscape Value] would not outweigh the harm to the very important landscape, the historical and cultural interests associated with Abbotsford House and the contribution of tourism to the Borders economy,” states Mr Seddon.
The decision is binding and will be ratified when the finalised Local Plan is adopted by councillors on October 28.
This judge Carloway was speaking at an event here in the US
ReplyDeleteWeak presence, bad public speaker and full of crap
If you dont mind me saying so
ReplyDeleteEIGHT YEARS for Scottish parliament msps to investigate a register of judicial interests support a register of judicial interests
and call for the register of judicial interests to be created without it being created AFTER EIGHT YEARS LATER SOUNDS VERY SUSPICIOUS
HOW CAN IT TAKE EIGHT YEARS FOR MSPS TO COME TO SUCH A CONCLUSION WHEN THEY THEMSELVES HAVE TO REGISTER AND PUBLISH ALL THEIR OWN INTERESTS ???
EIGHT YEARS VERY SUSPICIOUS DELAY DELAY DELAY !!!