Anne Smith, Lady Smith
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Lady Smith | |
---|---|
![]() Official portrait from 2006 | |
Senator of the College of Justice | |
Assumed office 2001 | |
Nominated by | Henry McLeish As First Minister |
Monarch | Elizabeth II |
Personal details | |
Born | Anne Mather 16 March 1955 |
Spouse(s) | David Alexander Smith |
Alma mater | University of Edinburgh |
Profession | Advocate |
Anne Smith, Lady Smith, PC (born 16 March 1955) is a Scottish lawyer, and a judge of the Supreme Courts of Scotland.
Early life[]
Smith was educated at Jordanhill School and Cheadle County Grammar School for Girls, before attending the School of Law of the University of Edinburgh, where she graduated with an LL.B. (Hons.).[1] She served a two-year apprenticeship with Shepherd and Wedderburn WS, and was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1980.
Legal career[]
Smith worked as Standing Junior Counsel to the Countryside Commission,[1] before becoming a Queen's Counsel in 1993.[1]
She served as a Temporary Sheriff from 1995 to 1999,[2] as Chairman of the Scottish Partnership on Domestic Abuse from 1998 to 2000,[1] and as an Advocate Depute from 2000 to 2001.[2] In April 2001 she was blamed by Donald Findlay QC for falling dress standards in the courts. In 1997, she had been the first woman to appear before the Court of Session in trousers; Findlay said that "The drop in standards began when female lawyers were allowed to wear trousers in court. They are all right for going to Tesco in, but not suitable dress for ladies to wear in court."[2] In November 2001, Smith was appointed a judge of the Court of Session and High Court of Justiciary, the Supreme Courts of Scotland, taking the judicial title, Lady Smith. Filling the vacancy created by Lord Gill's promotion to Lord Justice Clerk, she was only the third woman to be appointed to the College of Justice.
Smith was appointed as chairwoman of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry in July 2016; since February 2017 she has been the sole member of the panel.[3]
On 25 January 2019 she was made an Honorary Fellow of The Academy of Experts in recognition of her contribution and work for the Academy.
Personal life[]
Smith married David Alexander Smith, WS, a solicitor, in 1979, with whom she has a son and a daughter.
References[]
- ^ a b c d "Biographies - The Hon Lady Smith". Scottish Court Service. Archived from the original on 23 September 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2009.
- ^ a b c "Trousers-row lawyer to sit on bench". The Scotsman. 26 November 2001. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
- ^ "Scottish Child Abuse inquiry to be extended". BBC News. 23 August 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
External links[]
- profile at Judiciary of Scotland website
- 1955 births
- Living people
- Members of the Faculty of Advocates
- Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
- Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
- Senators of the College of Justice
- Scottish women judges
- Scottish Queen's Counsel
- Queen's Counsel 1901–2000