Tuesday, January 31, 2012

SHHH HAPPENED : Scotland’s new Information Commissioner to be Legal Complaints CEO Rosemary Agnew, rebuked FIVE TIMES for being ANTI-FOI

SLCC & FOISLCC’s Chief Executive Rosemary Agnew is to be the new Scottish Information Commissioner. THE Scottish Parliament has announced today that ROSEMARY AGNEW, the current Chief Executive of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) is to be appointed on Tuesday 1 February after a ‘formality vote’ by msps as the new Scottish Information Commissioner, replacing the highly successful Kevin Dunion who has served two terms in the role. However, in comparison to the widely  respected Mr Dunion, Ms Agnew, who take up the post in April to be FOI Chief for the next SIX YEARS at £78K a year, is widely viewed to be anti-foi, given her less than glowing record of handling FOI requests at the SLCC, where she was rebuked at least FIVE TIMES by the current Information Commissioner for unfairly using FOI legislation to obstruct the release of data to journalists and members of the public who submitted Freedom of Information requests.

Ms Agnew was made the politicians choice for the post of Information Commissioner after a series of closed to the public recruitment hearings took place by an all women msp selection panel, comprising the following msps : Presiding Officer, Tricia Marwick MSP – Chair, Margaret Burgess MSP, Helen Eadie MSP, Christine Grahame MSP, Alison McInnes MSP, Mary Scanlon MSP, Maureen Watt MSP.

Documents obtained by Diary of Injustice under Freedom of Information legislation after the SLCC was forced to publish its “Gifts & Hospitality Register revealed the Presiding Officer of the Parliament, Tricia Marwick MSP who was also chair of the all women msp panel who made Ms Agnew their choice as Information Commissioner, had offered hospitality to Ms Agnew during the time msps were considering the candidates to replace Mr Dunion. Diary of Injustice reported on these revelations, here : Legal Complaints CEO & ‘front runner’ for Scottish Information Commissioner role received hospitality from msps, law firms & Law Society of Scotland

Ms Agnew was widely tipped for the role, after leaks to the media confirmed msps wanted someone on their side in the job, covered earlier by Diary of Injustice here : SHHH Happens : SLCC Legal Complaints CEO Rosemary Agnew tipped for FOI Commissioner role after 5 FOI ‘rebukes’ & refusals to monitor Master Policy

While the Scottish Parliament’s Press Release on the appointment claims Ms Agnew “…committed to the principles of accountability and transparency …” her term at the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, firstly as Head of Investigations, and secondly as Chief Executive, replacing the SLCC’s first CEO Eileen Masterman who resigned after a year in the job, saw the SLCC fail to recommend any prosecutions of crooked lawyers, a move even criticised by the Scottish Solicitors Discipline Tribunal.

Ms Agnew in her role as the SLCC’s Chief Executive was also revealed to have taken decisions which led to some clients who had complained about their solicitors facing financial ruin, after she refused repeated requests by members of the public to monitor claims made against the Master Insurance Policy, the Professional Indemnity Insurance scheme operated by the Law Society of Scotland to compensate victims of negligent “Crooked lawyers.”

The Master Policy which Ms Agnew refused to monitor claims against, was linked in an independent report carried out by the SLCC to client suicides covered up by the Law Society of Scotland & the insurers. Diary of Injustice reported on the report into the Master Policy here : Suicides, illness, broken families and ruined clients reveal true cost of Law Society's Master Policy which 'allows solicitors to sleep at night'

The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission were asked for comment on the Scottish Parliament's announcement of its recommendation to appoint current CEO Rosemary Agnew as FOI Commissioner and what impact the loss of a second Chief Executive in three years has on the SLCC. No response has been received from the SLCC.

There is also no word yet on recruitment for a new SLCC Chief Executive, to a position which must be so fantastic, everyone wants out of the job as soon as they are in it.

BACKGROUND : ROSEMARY AGNEW, SLCC CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Rosemary Agnew is the SLCC’s second Chief Executive in three years. Ms Agnew took on the role after a short recruitment phase to replace the SLCC’s first Chief Executive Eileen Masterman who resigned after a bitter exchange with Cabinet Secretary for Finance John Swinney over issues involving meetings the SLCC held in connection with the Master Policy.

Ironically, one of Rosemary Agnew’s key refusals to disclose information to the public was information and discussions surrounding the SECRET SUBSTANTIAL PAY-OFF negotiated by lawyers acting for former SLCC CEO Eileen Masterman and the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission. The secret payoff was also backed by the Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, and Scottish Ministers also refused to disclose the amount paid to Ms Masterman. Diary of Injustice reported on the secret pay-off scandal in an earlier article here : HUSH & MONEY : Former SLCC law complaints Chief Executive Eileen Masterman received secret Scottish Government approved payoff in deal with lawyers

The Scottish Parliament’s Press Release (below) makes little reference to Ms Agnew’s work at the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission.

NEW SCOTTISH INFORMATION COMMISSIONER TO BE APPROVED BY PARLIAMENT

The Scottish Parliament will tomorrow be asked to approve the nomination of Rosemary Agnew as the new Scottish Information Commissioner.

Mrs Agnew, who is currently the Chief Executive of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, is set to replace Kevin Dunion who demits office on 23 February 2012.

Created under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, the Scottish Information Commissioner is responsible for enforcing and promoting Scotland’s freedom of information legislation.

The appointment will be for a fixed term of six years and attracts a salary of £78,000 per annum. The Parliament will be invited to agree Mrs Agnew’s nomination before the recommendation goes to Her Majesty The Queen for formal appointment. If approved, it is expected that Mrs Agnew will take up post in April.

Biographical Information

Prior to her work with the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, Mrs Agnew worked for the Local Government Ombudsman for 8 years. Throughout her career she has been committed to the principles of accountability and transparency and has worked with a range of public and private sector organisations to deliver service and procedural improvements.

Text of Motion to be approved by Parliament on 1 February 2012

That the Parliament nominates Rosemary Agnew to Her Majesty The Queen, for appointment as the Scottish Information Commissioner.

54 comments:

Anonymous said...

So would you advise us all to buy shares in companies selling black ink?

Clearly the msps have a lot to hide hence the background of their preferred bidder sorry I mean candidate.

Anonymous said...

You are missing the point.

She has been given the job because you have been so successful in discrediting the SLCC and the legal profession through foi.

Anonymous said...

More dictatorship.

Anonymous said...

All politicians are on the take anyway so there's your answer right away

MSPS ON THE TAKE AND I LIKE SAYING IT OPENLY

Anonymous said...

"Prior to her work with the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, Mrs Agnew worked for the Local Government Ombudsman for 8 years. Throughout her career she has been committed to the principles of accountability and transparency and has worked with a range of public and private sector organisations to deliver service and procedural improvements. "

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Anonymous said...

Yes you said it Mr C she's the "politicians choice" for a job lasting longer than even a Prime Minister.

Bloody disgrace.What are the msps hiding?

Anonymous said...

@16:09

She's been put in the job because msps fear the same happening to them through foi as happened to mps at Westminster who we now know to be mostly crooks.

Heaven forbid any msp may be thought of as a crook even though there are many among them who are crooks.

Anonymous said...

and not one comment from an msp? are all 129 of them such a bunch of gutless filth we cant even rely on at least one to dissent from the rest?

Anonymous said...

Looking at it another way this will give you (and many others) plenty scope to print that blacked up page along with Agnew's picture every time she fucks up on the job..

Looking at it this way you could say the msps gave you a gift even though I can picture them sitting round a table foaming at the mouth..

Anonymous said...

Its outrageous of course but then again its Scotland the well known Banana Republic of the Northern hemisphere.

Hopefully the Chinese will invade soon to save the Pandas poisoned at the zoo and we can all breathe a sigh of relief.I know I will.

Anonymous said...

Haha love the headline

SH*t certainly does happen after all!

While I'm on the subject what is the present Info Commissioner saying about all this?

Surely Dunion has some kind of opinion on him being replaced by someone he found to be anti foi on several occasions

Anonymous said...

Their Press Release is lie from start to finish.We should not expect anything from a closed sandwich canteen of the Scottish Parliament where we dont get to know who was standing for what.

How many lunches were on offer for the job?Will all the hard hitting FOI requests be put to bed by the new Agnew regime?

What a joke and a sick one at that.

Anonymous said...

The Parliament said "Throughout her career she has been committed to the principles of accountability and transparency"

leaving out she'd been slapped down 5 times by Dunion (according to the Daily Record)

So why are they so interested in re-writing history?

Clearly much to hide and much to fear.

Diary of Injustice said...

Thanks for your comments on this article.

This evening, a friend of mine at the Scottish Parliament sent me an account of what one msp felt about my reporting of Ms Agnew's appointment to the Information Commissioner post.

While the terms of what was said are too rude to publish, I am not overly interested in engaging in slagging matches with people who sound as if they are talking through a haze of booze, temazepam and whatever else mixed together ... (those in the know will realise who I may be referring to)

However, wading through the apparent selfish interests of Holyrood's ranks of the formerly sectioned (Yes, I have read the file, thanks), the alcoholics, the sectarian bigots, the addicts, and people who just do not really deserve to be getting £70K a year plus expenses from taxpayers for doing bugger all other than inflating their own egos, Scots, yes, us normal run of the mill people who make up the Scottish electorate, do deserve a measure of transparency & accountability which so far eludes us ...

If there is anyone out there up for putting this deficiency right .. you know who to contact ...

Anonymous said...

I wouldnt worry too much about what some of the Holyrood mob say about you.After all,some of them have been caught on their own cctv system giving oral sex to married msps.What a dirty place it must be.

(Sorry if what I've said is a bit strong for your rules but I hope you publish it)

Keep up the good work Peter.

Anonymous said...

The Scottish Parliament will be the ruination of us all

Anonymous said...

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION HAS BECOME FREEDOM TO SLEAZE!

Anonymous said...

Very good Peter - they may omit all her past at the SLCC but we know about it thanks to you.Expect more blackwashes at the FOI office very soon

Anonymous said...

yes with that bunch its more like preferred bidder not candidate lol!

Anonymous said...

This is what £145 a year tv license fee buys us - edited news coverage omitting the facts

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-16830531

MSPs to approve Rosemary Agnew as new FOI chief

Holyrood is to approve the appointment of Rosemary Agnew as the new Scottish Information Commissioner.

The £78,000-a-year job be for a fixed six-year term.

Ms Agnew, currently boss of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, will take over from Kevin Dunion, who leaves the job after eight years.

The Queen will formally approve the appointment of Ms Agnew if MSPs agree to the move in the Scottish Parliament later.

Created under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, the Scottish information commissioner is responsible for enforcing and promoting Scotland's freedom of information legislation.

Anonymous said...

As the scottish parliament is one of the main offenders when it comes to refusing reasonable requests for information via FOI it is clear it has no intention to follow Mr Dunnion's calls to widen the application of the Act - just the opposite.

And they have certainly hand-picked the right candidate for that task.

Another disgraceful episode of cronyism from the Salmond, McAskill and the SNP.

Anonymous said...

"committed to the principles of accountability and transparency …”

This is a bold and patent lie.

Whoever is responsible for writing this statement should be sacked for willful neglect of their public duty.

This decision is not Democracy.

This Decision is clearly not in the Scottish Public's interest, which means that it is treason.

Anonymous said...

Is Alex Salmond trying to ruin Scotland's hope of becoming Independent.

Certainly looks like it with this appointment?

Anonymous said...

bit of a fiddle

our msps specialise in this kind of cover up

Anonymous said...

What will be next after this bizarre decision?

The Scottish People being refused entry to the Scottish Parliament building?

MSP's holding their constituency surgery meetings with armed bodyguards?

Remotely operated camera's on top of every lamp post?

What about Leslie Cumming being made the new, independent of the Law Society of Scotland (fnar fnar), Head of the SLCC?

Syria here we come...

Anonymous said...

Finance secretary John Swinney has been apparently asked to make an exceptional funding order for the FOI Office, as a result of the new appointment.

This emergency funding has been necessitated due to the size and scale of the product being purchased.

Word has it that the shipment of 1 Million broad nibbed black marker pens has already left Shanghai and will be delivered at Leith in a fortnight?

Anonymous said...

When did this competition actually start?....

..and who started it.....?


What do you mean which competition?


The competition clearly underway for the most Politically Incorrect Public Appointment of the Year Award....silly....?

Anonymous said...

Is it true that the other candidates for the position of Scotland's new Information Commissioner's job were, in no particular order:

i) Fred Goodmwin (formerly Sir)

ii) The wicked witch of the East

iii) The wicked witch of the West

iv) Sergei the meerkat

v) Said Gaddafi



If so, how come we lost?

Anonymous said...

I fully expect that by the end of the week, we will be told that elves are real, that is safe to eat heavy metals and that we are really not from earth but rather that we are from the planet Tharg and that Jesus was a hologram?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
I fully expect that by the end of the week, we will be told that elves are real, that is safe to eat heavy metals and that we are really not from earth but rather that we are from the planet Tharg and that Jesus was a hologram?

1 February 2012 14:29

Elves are real.We call them staff of msps.

Heavy metals are on the menu at the Scottish Parliament although from what I read of Peter's conversations the staff or msps are more akin to sniffing them up their nose than ingesting.

A meteorite caused the fall of the dinosaurs and brought about the rise of humans from primates,otherwise the party of seven women msps choosing Ms Agnew as their preference would be seven tall reptiles with ghastly table manners and forked tongues/tails.

Jesus (as the rabies brigade may have us believe is the First Minister) is too fat to be a hologram.

And someone with an appalling record of handling Freedom of Information requests has now been put in charge of Freedom of Information.

Something big on the horizon needs hiding.

Anonymous said...

The BBC report about Agnew looks like they lifted it straight from the parly's press release to save them doing any work.So much for Nation shall speak unto Nation (with a few lies thrown in between)

Anonymous said...

Well timed too for the day Goodwin was stripped of his title.Obviously well organised so no one would notice Agnew coming on board to save the msps from certain scandal.

Anonymous said...

A meteorite caused the fall of the dinosaurs and brought about the rise of humans from primates,otherwise the party of seven women msps choosing Ms Agnew as their preference would be seven tall reptiles with ghastly table manners and forked tongues/tails.

Jesus (as the rabies brigade may have us believe is the First Minister) is too fat to be a hologram.

1 February 2012 18:04

How about seven short fat bitter reptiles with forked tongues etc?

Law.com said...

Have to admit I am kind of amazed at the details in this post about your Information Commission.Here in the civilised world a news story like this would be on the front pages not just on a blog (no offence intended)

Are all your Scotch journalists out somewhere taking a dump?

Anonymous said...

Are all your Scotch journalists out somewhere taking a dump?

1 February 2012 23:05

Yes they started this many years ago hence the falling circulations.

Looks like the msps took "a dump" on foi !

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

Is Alex Salmond trying to ruin Scotland's hope of becoming Independent.
==================================
Salmond is crushing FOI andhe his MacAskill are against the people of Scotland. I detest them.

Anonymous said...

With such a bad attitude towards foi she's either been put in the job to ruin it or she will have to let everything through because if she starts blocking any more than Dunion did then we will know exactly why she got it.

Anonymous said...

Jesus what kind of a country are we living in when this kind of thing happens?

The politicians must have loads to hide if they gave her the job

Anonymous said...

Read it and very good.

Kind of shocking though to learn there is only one journalist covering this.If the ICO had been viewed as such a partisan appointment this would have been well up in the headlines on the news surely?

Anonymous said...

Jobs for the girls?

Anonymous said...

In response to the remarks about the BBC why do you expect the BBC to report anything in detail about FOI?

The BBC has been found out many times by FOI just look at some of the salaries their newsreaders Chief Executives and 'celebrities' are getting paid by us all previously undisclosed before FOI came along.

Add to that everytime someone tries to FOI the BBC they end up getting told the information is held for journalistic purposes so its excluded from the act.

In reality they must be one of the biggest violators on the go so take it from me this little scandal about Rosemary Agnew being against FOI to replace Dunion will suit them down to the ground like a lot of others out to hide what is really going on.

Diary of Injustice said...

#Anonymous 1 February 2012 00:18

Any more details regarding what you said about the CCTV goings on at the Scottish Parliament please send to scottishlawreporters@gmail.com

1 February 2012 18:04 gets the prize for funniest comment

Anonymous said...

Had to scroll up to see what this is about the cctv.They must be filth at this Scottish Parliament.

Anonymous said...

“…committed to the principles of accountability and transparency …”

Whoever dreamed that one up should be committed themselves.

Anyway every time you hear something like this from a politician its just a lie.They are all liars.

Making those kinds of sweeping statements no one really believes them.Its like when someone says something like this you just now they are a f-u-c-k-i-n-g liar and rotten to the core.

Sorry if what I wrote is offensive to the comment rules but it is the truth.Hope you print.

Anonymous said...

The application process was nothing short of hostile.I should know because I was part of it.

Put it this way - they got the candidate they set out to find in the first place.Your blog reads as if you already know the rest.

Anonymous said...

Nice to know the international media are paying more attention to Scotland than the Scots media.No wonder she got the job then if no one else can be bothered to do the investigating and come up with some decent coverage.

Ever felt like selling a paper?I'm sure you would get more sales with a lot of stuff already on the blog than what we have to put up with in the rags.

Anonymous said...

Do you think Agnew will get a big pay off like Mastermanfor leaving the SLCC after Irvine went to the trouble of issuing this press release about her appointment?
http://www.scottishlegalcomplaints.com/press-centre/press-releases/slcc-appoints-new-chief-executive.aspx

SLCC APPOINTS NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE
26/10/2010
Following a rigorous recruitment process, the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) has today; (26 October 2010) announced the appointment of Rosemary Agnew as their new Chief Executive.

Commenting on the appointment, SLCC Chair Jane Irvine said: "I am delighted Rosemary has accepted the position as Chief Executive Officer of the SLCC."

"Having worked with Rosemary now for two years, and seen her work as Acting Chief Executive for the last year I know her structured work ethic and positive attitude are exactly what the SLCC needs at this stage in its life."

Throughout her career, Rosemary has also worked for the English Civil Service in a variety of management and policy roles. She has a strong background in complaint handling having worked for the Local Government Ombudsman in England for several years and has also lectured in Business Administration and Management at both post and undergraduate levels in the UK and abroad.

Jane continued: "Rosemary's experience of working within statutory frameworks means she has developed the essential skills and the insight needed for her role as the Chief Executive of an impartial complaints handling and oversight body."

Rosemary Agnew, the SLCC's newly appointed Chief Executive commented: "The SLCC is still a relatively new, but maturing, organisation with a dynamic and modern approach to resolving legal complaints and I look forward to taking the organisation forward at a time of significant challenges."
ENDS

Diary of Injustice said...

2 February 2012 21:21

Thanks for your comment.

If you'd like to contribute any details you have which you feel should be made public please email scottishlawreporters@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

With such an in your face appointment like this it will prompt people to talk a bit more.You might end up with leaks galore & far more to write about than if they had gone for a more pro-foi candidate.

Just saying of course and as already said keep up the good work!

Anonymous said...

Laughing at that Press Release from the SLCC about Agnew's appointment in 2010.

The atmosphere there must be stinking now they are going to have to bring in yet another Chief Executive in yet another attempt to defeat Peter Cherbi.

Have to admit you must be a capable person if you've caused two Chief Executives to leave a rogue lawyers society!

Wouldn't they be better just taking you on to shut you up or if they are actually genuine put your experience to some use to actually help some of these poor people who have been shafted by their lawyers?

Anonymous said...

New gel inplants for Rosemary then.

Anonymous said...

New gel implants Ha Ha well I suppose it fits out with the old and in with the new thats what I say.

Anonymous said...

An employee at the Scottish Parliament told me an msp has ordered Rosemary Agnew to block all journalists requests for investigations about the SLCC and any other law body to the Information Commissioner.

Have you heard anything about this?

Is this discrimination?

The msp who I'm told said it is a lawyer.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

An employee at the Scottish Parliament told me an msp has ordered Rosemary Agnew to block all journalists requests for investigations about the SLCC and any other law body to the Information Commissioner.

If true this is certainly illegal and not just discrimination.