A FORMER senior policeman has been appointed as Scotland’s third judicial complaints reviewer amid controversy over the role.
Justice Secretary Michael Matheson announced that retired Tayside Police deputy chief constable Ian Gordon will take up the position next month. It was set up to review the handling of complaints against members of the judiciary – judges, sheriffs and justices of the peace Gordon is currently an acting commissioner with the Northern Ireland Public Service Ombudsman Office and has conducted criminal, conduct and complaints investigations in the UK.
His appointment comes after comments from the outgoing reviewer, Gillian Thompson, about the constraints of the role and a lack of support. She said in a recent report that these limitations meant the role offered a “poor service, relatively speaking” and called on Scottish ministers to “review the relevance of the role as it exists”. The previous incumbent, Moi Ali, resigned in 2014 claiming the role had no power.
Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesman Liam McArthur has written to Matheson backing Thompson’s call for a review.
In the letter, he said: “The previous holders of the post have both condemned the support they received and claimed that this has had serious implications for the quality of the service they were able to provide.
“In appointing the third JCR the Scottish Government cannot ignore the criticisms of his predecessors and the serious questions that surround the credibility of this office. It is clear that the current system is not working. I therefore urge you to act on Ms Thompson’s calls for a review of the ‘relevance’ of the post.
“I believe there is a strong case for a review examining whether the legislation is fit for purpose and whether the JCR has the resources they need to do the job with diligence and timeliness.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The Scottish Government has provided support for the previous JCR whenever requested, particularly in relation to website and IT issues, and we will review these arrangements with Mr Gordon when he takes up post.”
The spokesman added that the Government is always receptive to requests from the reviewer to work additional days when their workload demands.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here