Public appointment: Members appointed to the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland

The Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home affairs today announced the appointment of Jonathan Barne, Paul Cackette, Wilma Canning, Paul Gray, Fiona McLean, Gareth Morgan and Peter Murray as Members of the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland.

Members

Jonathan Barne called to the Scottish Bar in 2002 and took silk in 2017. Between 2008 and 2017, he was appointed a standing junior for the Scottish Government. He has a broad commercial practice with rankings in both Chambers and the Legal 500.

Paul Cackette is a former Director of Legal Services and former Chief Planning Reporter in the Scottish Government. He was awarded a CBE in 2021. At present he is a Visiting Professor of Public Law at Strathclyde University. Paul led reform of the civil justice system for the government between 2003 and 2008 while working in the Justice Directorate.  He is committed to broadening diversity in the judiciary and was the Scottish Government Disability Champion up until 2016.

Wilma Canning has 25 years’ HR experience in the public and private sectors, including specialist roles in Resourcing, Equality and Diversity and Staff Development. Ms Canning has been a Lay Member of Employment Tribunals since 2010, a Lay Member on Fitness to Teach hearings for the General Teaching Council for Scotland since June 2023 and was a Lay Member on Fitness to Practise hearings for the Scottish Social Services Council from 2014 to 2021. She has particular skills in policy development, recruitment and selection, equality impact assessment and panel decision making.  

Paul Gray is an experienced senior executive leader in public service, with a strong emphasis on ethical and compassionate leadership, transparency and collaborative working for the benefit of those we serve.  Committed to public accountability, experienced in leading delivery and change in complex systems, he is comfortable with exposure to scrutiny in highly visible and politically contested sectors. Paul spent 40 years in the civil service, leaving in 2019.  He held a number of director general posts in Scottish government from 2009 onwards, culminating in the role of chief executive of NHS Scotland and DG health and social care. During his civil service career, he served all of the main parties of government in both the UK and devolved administrations. Paul now has a diverse portfolio covering academia and the public, private and third sectors. He is an honorary professor at the University of Glasgow, Scotland’s member of council for the Open University, and patron of Medics Against Violence. He is a senior faculty member at the Royal College of Physicians (Edinburgh), on the board of the Care Inspectorate, and a senior advisor to public affairs firm Charlotte Street Partners.

Fiona McLean brings to the Board extensive experience in leadership and governance in the public sector. A former Professor of Cultural Heritage Management at Glasgow Caledonian University, Fiona is currently the Rector and Chair of Foundation for the University of the Highlands and Islands. Fiona was a founding board member of Historic Environment Scotland and currently sits on the Committee for Scotland for the National Lottery Heritage Fund. As a Non-Executive Director for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Fiona pursued her keen interest in the justice system in Scotland. Fiona is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, having been instrumental in establishing and chairing the Equality Advisory Panel as a Non-Executive Director for the Cairngorms National Park Authority, and championed equalities in governance as Vice Chair of Court at the University of the Highlands and Islands.

Gareth Morgan retired as the Chief Constable of Staffordshire Police in 2021 and was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service in the 2022 Honours List. He was Director of the Police National Assessment Centre for selection of Chief Officers from 2017 to 2021 and  an assessor from 2012. Gareth now volunteers locally having relocated to Lochalsh and is an Operations Manager for the local RNLI station and Chair of SEALL who promote music and the performing arts across Skye and Lochalsh. Gareth is also Director of Lochalsh and Skye Housing Association and is a trustee of Kyle and Lochalsh Community Trusts.

Peter Murray was an assistant Chief Fire Officer in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service prior to retiring in 2016. Since retiring, Peter joined NHS Lothian as a Non-Executive Director and was appointed as the Vice Chair in 2022. In 2019, Peter was appointed to the Scottish Social Services Council. Peter has executive experience in a senior management role, working with communities to improve services. He has chaired a number of committees including being appointed to the chair of the integrated joint board, chairs and vice chairs.

Appointment

The appointment for Paul Cackette will run from 1 November 2023 to 31 October 2026. The appointments of Paul Gray and Jonathan Barne will run from 1 November 2023 to 31 October 2027. The appointments of Gareth Morgan and Peter Murray will run from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2026. The appointments for Wilma Canning and Fiona McLean will run from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2027.

The appointments are regulated by the Ethical Standards Commissioner.

Remuneration

The appointments are part-time and attracts a remuneration of £296 per day for a time commitment of up to 40 days per annum.

Other ministerial appointments

Prof Gray is a Member of the Care Inspectorate Board, for which he receives a remuneration of £187.08 per day for a time commitment of 2 days per month. He is also a Civil Service Commissioner, for which he receives a remuneration of £400 per day, for a time commitment of up to 80 days per annum. 

Fiona McLean is a Member of the Cairngorms National Park Authority, for which she receives remuneration of £226.75 per day for a time commitment of 3 days per month.

Peter Murray is Vice Chair of NHS Lothian, for which he receives remuneration of £9030 per day for a time commitment 1 day per week. He is also a Council Member of the Scottish Social Services Council, for which he receives remuneration of £154 per day for a time commitment of 1 day per week.

Jonathan Barne, Paul Cackette, Wilma Canning and Gareth Morgan do 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.   

Jonathan Barne, Paul Cackette, Wilma Canning, Paul Gray, Fiona McLean, Gareth Morgan and Peter Murray have not declared any political activity within the last five years.

Background

The Board became an advisory Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) on the 1st June 2009 under the provisions of the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008.

The functions of the Board under the Act are:

a) to recommend to members of the Scottish Executive individuals for appointment to judicial offices within the Board’s remit.;

b) to provide advice to members of the Scottish Executive in connection with such appointments; and

c) in carrying out its functions, the Board must have regard to the need to encourage diversity in the range of individuals available for selection to be recommended for appointment to a judicial office. This is subject to the provisions a) and b) above.

The selection of an individual to be recommended for appointment must be solely on merit and the Board must also be satisfied that the individual is of good character.