Sheriff Principal of Glasgow and Strathkelvin facts for kids

The Sheriff Principal of Glasgow and Strathkelvin is like the main judge for a large area in Scotland called a sheriffdom. This particular sheriffdom covers Glasgow and the surrounding Strathkelvin area. Scotland is divided into six of these sheriffdoms, and each one has its own Sheriff Principal. These areas were set up in 1975, changing from an older system that had 12 smaller areas. The Glasgow and Strathkelvin sheriffdom has one main court, called the Sheriff Court, located in Glasgow.

What is a Sheriff Principal?

A Sheriff Principal is a very important judge. They are in charge of how the court system works in their sheriffdom. Think of them as the manager of all the legal work and judges in their area.

How are they chosen?

To become a Sheriff Principal, a person usually needs to be a King's Counsel (KC). This means they are a very experienced lawyer. The King officially appoints them, but this happens after the First Minister of Scotland suggests someone. The First Minister gets ideas from a group called the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland. To even be considered, a person must have worked as a lawyer or a solicitor for at least ten years.

What do they do?

The main job of a Sheriff Principal is to oversee the courts and judges in their area. They make sure everything runs smoothly. They also have a team of other judges, called sheriffs, who hear most of the cases. Sometimes, the Sheriff Principal will hear important cases themselves. They might also lead big investigations into serious accidents, called fatal accident inquiries. In the past, they used to hear appeals when someone disagreed with a decision made by one of their sheriffs. However, most of these appeal cases now go to a special court called the Sheriff Appeal Court, which was set up in 2014.

Past Sheriffs Principal

Here is a list of the people who have served as Sheriff Principal for Glasgow and Strathkelvin:

• 1975–1977: Henry Stephen Wilson
• 1977–1980: Robert Reid, QC
• 1980–1986: Sir John Alexander Dick, QC
• 1986–1997: Norman Macleod
• 1997–2005: Edward F. Bowen QC (later moved to a different sheriffdom)
• 2005–2011: James Alastair Taylor
• 2011–2016: Craig A.L. Scott QC
• 2016–2023: Craig Turnbull
• 2023-: Aisha Anwar

See also

• Historical development of Scottish sheriffdoms