tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post7863159357513975427..comments2024-03-29T12:58:06.213+00:00Comments on The Justice Diaries: Offshore trusts, property holdings, insurance syndicates, hospitality from dodgy lawyers, yet no plans for a register of interests for Scottish judgesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-23769594595758703652011-10-11T19:43:19.532+01:002011-10-11T19:43:19.532+01:00Well Peter I hope this goes through and we finally...Well Peter I hope this goes through and we finally get to see how these judges live instead of as someone else said this veil of secrecy around them which is not proper and as Lord Hamilton should know himself not in the interests of justice or transparency.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-48230938764316046952011-10-11T15:02:57.636+01:002011-10-11T15:02:57.636+01:00The Judicial Appointments Board is the body which ...The Judicial Appointments Board is the body which recommends judges to the Lord President.<br /><br />Its full of lawyers and yes you guessed it judges!<br /><br />http://www.judicialappointmentsscotland.gov.uk<br /><br />I think we need to have some declarations of jobs for the boys as well as their financial interests!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-16521408353152477792011-10-11T01:13:34.660+01:002011-10-11T01:13:34.660+01:00nice to know there's no one you can trust in t...nice to know there's no one you can trust in the legal systemAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-37926401770378067662011-10-10T23:08:29.418+01:002011-10-10T23:08:29.418+01:00This register of interests should be made now with...This register of interests should be made now without any delay and Lord Hamilton's excuses tossed out the window.Same goes for the Supreme Court and the rest of the judiciary.DECLARE YOUR INTERESTS AND HOSPITALITYAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-53266957480096370392011-10-10T21:24:30.430+01:002011-10-10T21:24:30.430+01:00How many of those currently
'serving' on ...How many of those currently <br />'serving' on the Bench remain members of the Law Society of Scotland I wonder?<br /><br />Something else that might usefully be known if the SNP have the guts to enforce a climate of <br />'transparency and accountability' in Scotland.......(don't hold your breath waiting)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-24251462216551403042011-10-10T21:16:31.191+01:002011-10-10T21:16:31.191+01:00To the comment of 9 October 2011 20:27
This is s...To the comment of 9 October 2011 20:27 <br /><br />This is surely more than a little off topic. That said, you may wish to reflect on the fact that the Church of England is currently being broken apart over the issue of homosexual clery and Brian Souter's independent poll has overwhelmingly confirmed that the vast majority of people in Scotland were against the repeal of Clause 64.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-15695328449584343982011-10-10T21:08:49.965+01:002011-10-10T21:08:49.965+01:00It's about time the spineless wimps in 'th...It's about time the spineless wimps in 'the lamestream press' and our 'independent' broacasting corporations evolved into something with a little backbone.<br /><br />Excellent reporting.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-84832612180615280052011-10-10T20:25:52.007+01:002011-10-10T20:25:52.007+01:00Thanks for all your comments & emails on this ...Thanks for all your comments & emails on this article.<br /><br />A number of suggestions and tips have come in via email & unpublished comments. <br /><br />I will look into the information provided for future articles on this subject.<br /><br />I certainly agree with those of you who back the idea of a register of interests for the judiciary and will keep reporting on this issue until there is movement ...Diary of Injusticehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00697476580161690118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-52177179479827863432011-10-10T19:30:38.553+01:002011-10-10T19:30:38.553+01:00This is probably one of the best ideas I've he...This is probably one of the best ideas I've heard for a long time and congratulations to the New Zealanders who are brave and honest enough to take this forward.<br />Its a pity we dont have politicians of this ilk in Scotland although at least we have Mr C to keep the legal mafia in check!<br /><br />Keep up the good work Peter!Judges like to keep their secrets dont theynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-85946130684882316332011-10-10T18:41:50.886+01:002011-10-10T18:41:50.886+01:00Lawyers are the pits.Lawyers are the pits.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-83899313227701118902011-10-10T18:08:57.607+01:002011-10-10T18:08:57.607+01:00THE CABINET RICH LIST.
WE ARE ALL IN IT TOGETHER ...THE CABINET RICH LIST.<br /><br />WE ARE ALL IN IT TOGETHER DAVID, I THINK NOT. <br /><br /><br />1. Lord Strathclyde £10m - Leader of the House of Lords, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster<br /><br />The 2nd Baron Strathclyde, more normally addressed as Tom, is wealthy even by the aristocratic standards of the Lords. The half-Belgian peer owns a lucrative slice of his family’s estate management company, Auchendrane Estates, has numerous private directorships and a £2.3million house in Westminster.<br /><br />2. Philip Hammond £7.5m - Secretary of State for Transport<br /><br />Hammond had been expected to take the No2 position at the Treasury until the coalition agreement was struck, but there is little need for him to make personal economies. His stake in property company Castlemead has been estimated to be worth up to £6million in shares and dividends. He also co-owns a £1million house in Westminster and a £400,000 home in Woking, Surrey.<br /><br />3. George Osborne £4.6m - Chancellor of the Exchequer<br /><br />The youngest Chancellor for more than a century holds a £2million stake in his father’s luxury wallpaper company, Osborne & Little, and lives in a £2million family home in London’s Notting Hill. His constituency property in Tatton adds another £600,000.<br /><br />4. Jeremy Hunt £4.5m - Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport<br /><br />Hunt, a lambada-dancing party high-flier, owns a stake in the educational publisher Hotcourses estimated at nearly £3million. He also owns a property in Surrey, a house in Hammersmith, West London, and a half-share of a holiday home in Italy.<br /><br />5. David Cameron £4m - Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service<br /><br />The PM and his wife both come from wealthy backgrounds and enjoy substantial property assets of their own: their London home has been valued at £2.7million and their constituency house at £1million. Mrs Cameron’s work as the creative director of Smythson, the upmarket stationers, earned her a £300,000 bonus. Both are in line to inherit fortunes from their parents: the combined wealth of the Camerons’ parents has been put as high as £30million. <br /><br />Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/election/article-1280554/The-coalition-millionaires-23-29-member-new-cabinet-worth-1m--Lib-Dems-just-wealthy-Tories.html#ixzz1aOppXxhtCAMERON'S CABINET HATE THE POORnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-69713624095084563552011-10-10T16:42:19.787+01:002011-10-10T16:42:19.787+01:00Judges in their own cause. The reason the Scottish...Judges in their own cause. The reason the Scottish Legal System is so badly corrupt is because it is a closed system.<br /><br />They are absolutely all powerful and unaccountable.<br /><br />I'm all for maintaining the independence of the Judiciary but I would have them monitored and scrutinised by members of the public who took on the job for a short fixed term and who were chosen at random (like Jury Duty). They would serve their public duty and be responsible for holding Public Officials to account.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-67323152619557912462011-10-10T16:40:56.911+01:002011-10-10T16:40:56.911+01:00Lord President Lord Hamilton, a man that is all. N...Lord President Lord Hamilton, a man that is all. Nothing special, but he want to keep us all in the dark about their conflicts of interest.<br /><br />Justice Hamilton, what do you know about that word?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-66259141098230589722011-10-10T15:34:03.100+01:002011-10-10T15:34:03.100+01:00A few of the judges must be doing their nut over t...A few of the judges must be doing their nut over this one.When are you going to publish more about them?I'd like to hear which ones have been avoiding paying their taxes for a start!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-55413874838365606132011-10-10T05:04:07.414+01:002011-10-10T05:04:07.414+01:00Anyone appearing before a Sheriff or Judge should ...Anyone appearing before a Sheriff or Judge should refuse to cooperate until they can prove that they are not on the take (ie can prove that they are impartial)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-62345985426977548872011-10-10T05:00:34.147+01:002011-10-10T05:00:34.147+01:00I thought it was considered normal practice for bo...I thought it was considered normal practice for both Advocates to meet the Judge in his chambers beforehand so as they can decide between them who is going to be allowed to win each case?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-19101356384819494842011-10-10T04:40:12.115+01:002011-10-10T04:40:12.115+01:00I play a regular round of golf with an eminent Jud...I play a regular round of golf with an eminent Judge who said that your website is detested by Judges and Lawyers alike.<br /><br />He went on to aver that they were all taking bets on who could catch the pimpernel first?<br /><br />So I asked the ermined one, 'well what about it, have you ever been caught out telling lies?' <br /><br />His ruddy cheeks puffed back at me as he snorted, 'I don't tell lies and that's the truth', and he wandered off.<br /><br />Hmmmmm.....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-32017747641397967552011-10-10T00:58:18.780+01:002011-10-10T00:58:18.780+01:00The link between corrupt judges & corrupt Poli...The link between corrupt judges & corrupt Police Officers is not restricted to Scotland.<br />In any country you will get crooked cops eager to please judges by doing a few favours I've seen it for myself.<br />I think you Scots need to rethink your judiciary and how it goes about its business.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-42912289983982194662011-10-10T00:25:31.476+01:002011-10-10T00:25:31.476+01:00"It is in the public interest and the interes..."It is in the public interest and the interests of justice that our judges be required by law to join all others in public office, paid for by the public purse, to register their interests and any hospitality received. This is clearly in the interests of transparency, accountability and can only serve to reassure court users that they can expect fair & equal treatment - something we should all be entitled to as of right."<br /><br />I like where you are coming from Peter!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-40726868006009282072011-10-10T00:21:24.478+01:002011-10-10T00:21:24.478+01:00http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/20...http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2011/10/09/police-swoop-in-prison-car-park-to-arrest-lawyer-accused-of-smuggling-attempt-86908-23477170/<br /><br />A LAWYER has been accused of trying to smuggle cannabis into one of Scotland's toughest jails.<br /><br />Police swooped on solicitor David Blair-Wilson after guards at Saughton prison, Edinburgh, raised the alarm.<br /><br />Blair-Wilson was arrested and charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act after police searched a car in the prison car park on Thursday.<br /><br />He was quizzed at St Leonard's police office in the capital where he complained of chest pains.<br /><br />He was then transferred to the city's Royal Infirmary where he was held under police guard, though he has since left hospital.<br /><br />A police spokesman said: "A search was carried out of a vehicle within the prison car park and drugs and other items associated with organised crime were seized.<br /><br />"We continue to gather intelligence on organised criminals - including those serving time in prison - and will act on any information relating to illegal activities."<br /><br />Blair-Wilson was found guilty of professional misconduct by Law Society chiefs eight years ago after numerous complaints.<br /><br />He was given a 10-year ban, preventing him working with legal transactions of a financial nature.<br /><br />He avoided being struck off but was ordered to work under supervision for 10 years. One client accused Blair-Wilson of giving false information on his behalf to a court while another said he misled him. A clinical psychologist and legal assistant accused him of failing to pay fees they were owed.<br /><br />Blair-Wilson failed to respond to the Law Society's concerns and ignored repeated demands to hand over his accounts.<br /><br />He was previously a criminal law specialist and worked for Nigel Beaumont & Co in Edinburgh. Since qualifying as a lawyer in 1982, he has worked for nine different law firms. He now works for Edinburgh solicitor Massimo D'Alvito.<br /><br />Mr D'Alvito said: "I didn't know anything about this. It came as a shock to me."<br /><br />In 2007, lawyer Angela Baillie - dubbed Ally McDeal - was sentenced to 32 months in jail for handing over heroin to client Peter McConville in Glasgow's Barlinnie prison.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-50536976486336296422011-10-09T23:15:07.514+01:002011-10-09T23:15:07.514+01:00Just who is going round killing off the critics of...Just who is going round killing off the critics of lawyers and getting away with it I wonder??<br /><br />8 October 2011 21:03<br /><br />Someone who must be linked to the Law Society because this lot are clearly out of control and have no respect for anyoneAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-60870625934315201442011-10-09T20:49:55.460+01:002011-10-09T20:49:55.460+01:00This fog which exists around the judges over what ...This fog which exists around the judges over what they get up to and their interests has to go.They are doing a job paid for by the public therefore we have a right to know what their interests are and hospitality they are getting all laid out in a register like everyone else.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-66786799540587844112011-10-09T20:27:57.856+01:002011-10-09T20:27:57.856+01:00BBC News
The Catholic Church in Scotland has step...BBC News<br /><br />The Catholic Church in Scotland has stepped up its campaign against proposals to allow gay marriage.<br /><br />The Archbishop of Glasgow, Mario Conti, has written to every parish in Scotland, urging all Catholics to oppose the planned legislation.<br /><br />He said the Scottish government did not have a mandate to "reconstruct society on ideological grounds".<br />================================<br />Mario, I watched a TV programme called Homosexuality in the Catholic Church, where men left the diocese because they were gay. <br /><br />It amazes me that a church that has paid out vast sums of money for the conduct of paedophile priests can have any moral standing. What right does the Church of Rome have to lecture decent Catholics? A church like this does NOT FEAR GOD. <br /><br />Catholicism, like any other ism, is an ideology a system of beliefs that tells us why we are here (God created us) and has a plan of action (to increase the power of the church) keep you in your job. I always find it strange how men who are meant to celibate think they have a right to lecture all of us. <br /><br />If men and women were all celibate the human condition of death would wipe out the human race. Do not lecture us, get your own church in order by prosecuting paedophile priests not by cannon law (which is self regulation) but by the legislatures in the countries where abuse has happened. <br /><br />Clergy amaze me by their hypocrisy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-60433154440320515812011-10-09T19:29:35.363+01:002011-10-09T19:29:35.363+01:00Kind of worrying to hear there are deaths/murders ...Kind of worrying to hear there are deaths/murders of those going up against lawyers.<br /><br />Has Scotland slipped into some mafia state run by lawyers/judges or has it always been like this?<br /><br />btw I enjoyed the newspaper story about the sick judge.What a fine example of Scottish judges he must be!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-50210560369706720882011-10-09T16:06:17.813+01:002011-10-09T16:06:17.813+01:00Ultimately the judiciary could stop most of the in...Ultimately the judiciary could stop most of the injustice happening in Scotland but they do not and frequently side with the ones who are causing it.They are not stupid they know exactly what is going on in many of the cases before them yet time after time ordinary people who have been ripped off by legal thugs,banks,dodgy accountants etc are shown the door with a wasted time in court where they get nowhere while the crook gets off the hook.<br /><br />To any of members of the judiciary reading this comment ITS OBVIOUS WHAT YOU ARE DOING YOU DO NOT RESPECT THE PEOPLE AT ALLAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com