Public Appointment: Chair and Legal Member to the Board of Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission

The Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs today announced the appointment of Dr Vanessa Davies as Chair and Alyson Forbes as a Legal Member to the Board of the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission.

Chair

Dr Vanessa Davies had an earlier career as an academic and a senior civil servant in the FCO before retraining as a barrister (England and Wales), initially working in asylum and immigration law. For a decade until 2020 she was the Director General of the Bar Standards Board, the regulatory body for barristers. She now does mainly non-executive work and currently sits on the General Medical Council where she has chaired their Board of Pension Trustees and will chair their Audit and Risk Committee from January 2025. She has been a non-executive Director at the COPFS for a number of years, latterly chairing their Audit and Risk Committee and will step down from COPFS on appointment to the SCCRC. She sits on the Conduct Committee of the House of Lords and is a decision maker in relation to complaints against current and former Ministers for the Scottish Government. Her home is in Edinburgh.

Legal Member

Alyson Valerie Forbes was previously a Procurator Fiscal Depute in COPFS for 22 years. She worked in both the High Court and Appeals Unit in Crown Office. She re-trained and called as an advocate in 2014, where she continued to undertake criminal work for the Crown as a Crown Junior and an Ad Hoc Advocate Depute. In 2017, she was appointed as a legally qualified chair for the Scottish Social Services Council and will complete her 7 year term in December 2024.

Appointment

These appointments will be for 4 years and will run from 1 January 2025 to
31 December 2028.

These appointments are regulated by the Ethical Standards Commissioner.

Remuneration

Chair

The Chair appointment is part-time and attracts a remuneration of £425 per day, up to a maximum total fee of £20,400 per financial year for a time commitment between 3 and 4 days per month.

Legal Member

The Legal Member appointment is part-time and attracts a remuneration of £254 per day, up to a maximum total fee of £12,192 per financial year for a time commitment between 3 and 4 days per month.

These appointments are non-pensionable.

Other ministerial appointments

Alyson Valerie Forbes is a Legally Qualified Chair of the Scottish Social Services Council, for which she receives remuneration of £600 per day, for a time commitment of 6-8 days per month.

Dr Vanessa Davies does not hold any other public appointments.

Political activity

All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process.  However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity within the last five years (if there is any to be declared) to be made public.  

Dr Vanessa Davies and Alyson Valerie Forbes have had no political activity within the last five years.

Background

The Board of the Commission is responsible for the overall strategic direction and performance of the Commission, and is ultimately responsible for determining whether or not to refer cases to the High Court. The Board Members, alongside the Chief Executive of the Commission, are collectively responsible for ensuring appropriate use of public funds.

The Commission currently operates with a Board of 9 Members, one of whom is the Chairperson. All appointments are made by Royal Warrant on the advice of Scottish Ministers and in line with the Code of Practice issued by the Ethical Standards Commissioner.