Sheriff John Brown fitness for judicial office: tribunal report
Independent tribunal report into the fitness for judicial office of Sheriff John Brown.
Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon constituted a tribunal under Section 21 of the Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 to investigate and report on whether Sheriff John Albert Brown was unfit to hold the office by reason of misbehaviour. This followed a request by the Lord President.
The tribunal reported to the First Minister Humza Yousaf on 28 March 2024, reporting their unanimous view that the judicial office holder’s misbehaviour renders him unfit for judicial office.
In accordance with section 24 of the Act, the First Minister has laid the report before the Scottish Parliament. The report is attached.
Costs
The total costs of both tribunals in relation to Sheriff Jack Brown is £436,329.95.
The breakdown is shown in the below table:
| Fiscal year | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2021-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fees paid to Legal Counsel or Solicitors | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £43,483.79 | £258,334.98 | £8,920.20 |
| Expert witnesses or consultants | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Administrative/ misc expenses of tribunal | £0 | £0 | £7,254.00 | £0 | £0 | £1,217.11 | £0 |
| Other relevant tribunal expenses * | £0 | £10,704.35 | £58,029.52 | £0 | £0 | £43,640.00 | £4,746.00 |
* Other relevant tribunal expenses include members of the tribunal, Investigating Officer and Presenting Officer.
The total cost of the first tribunal was £75,987.87.
The total cost of the second tribunal was £360,342.08.
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