Released through Governor’s Office

His Excellency the Governor, Duncan Taylor, CBE, is delighted to announce the appointment of Patricia Janet Scotland, The Rt Hon. the Baroness Scotland of Asthal, QC to the Judicial and Legal Services Commission under section 105(d) of the Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009. Baroness Scotland’s appointment returns the complement of the Commission to eight after Sir Richard Ground resigned from the Commission earlier this year.

Baroness Scotland has had an exceptionally distinguished career in the law.  She gained her LLB (Hons) in 1976 and was called to the Bar in 1977.  She was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1991. Baroness Scotland was created a Peer in 1997 and served in several Ministerial positions in the Labour Government, including as Her Majesty’s Attorney General for England, Wales and Northern Ireland from July 2007 to May 2010.   She was appointed as an Assistant Recorder in 1991, a Deputy High Court Judge in the

Family Division in 1995, and a Recorder in 2000.  Baroness Scotland is currently in private practice in London and serves as a Member of the House of Lords.  Baroness Scotland has received many awards for her achievements; and is a member of numerous advisory committees in the UK.  Details are in the attached CV.

“Baroness Scotland is a most impressive lady, with an outstanding career to date and impeccable credentials” the Governor said.  “I am delighted to be able to appoint such a distinguished lawyer and such a good friend of the Cayman Islands to the JLSC.  I have no doubt that her wisdom and experience will be of great benefit to the Commission.”

Her appointment is effective immediately and expires on 31 July, 2015.

Her full CURRICULUM VITAE follows:

Patricia Janet SCOTLAND

(The Rt Hon. the Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC)

Personal:

Nationality                 British

Education

1976                           University of London

LLB (Hons) London

Professional Qualifications

1977                           Called to the Bar – Middle Temple

Middle Temple Scholar

Benefactors Scholarship

Winston Churchill Prize Winner (Middle Temple)

 

Public Appointments & Committees

2011                           Vice President of Chatham House

2001                        Appointed Privy Councillor

2000                           Appointed Recorder

1997                           Elected a Middle Temple Bencher

1997                           Created a Peer as Baroness Scotland of Asthal

1995/1996               Appointed Deputy High Court Judge Family Division

1991/1992               Appointed Assistant Recorder

1991                           Appointed Queen’s  Counsel

1989                           Member of the Bar of the Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies

1978                           Member of the Bar of Antigua, West Indies

Career Summary

October 2011-          Return to private practice at 4 Paper Buildings, Temple EC4 and

Present                       Member of the House of Lords

October 2011-          Her Majesty’s Shadow Attorney General

May 2010

Principal legal adviser to the H.M. Loyal Opposition’s Shadow Cabinet.

Leadership of the Shadow Law Officers.

Jul 2007-

May 2010      Her Majesty’s Attorney General for England, Wales and Northern Ireland 2010 and Advocate General for Northern Ireland

Legal adviser to H.M. The Queen, Parliament and the Government.

Guardian of the rule of law and the public interest.

Overall responsibility for the work of the Attorney General’s Office and superintended Departments (the Treasury Solicitor’s Department, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Serious Fraud Office, the Revenue & Customs Prosecutions Office, the Army Prosecuting Authority and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate).

Specific statutory duty to superintend the discharge of duties by the Director of Public Prosecutions (who heads the Crown Prosecution Service), the Director of the Serious Fraud Office, the Director of the Revenue & Customs Prosecutions Office, the Director of Army Legal Services and the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland.

Non-statutory oversight of the armed service prosecuting authorities and government prosecuting departments

Government’s principal legal adviser dealing (amongst others) with questions of international law, European Community/Union law, human rights and devolution issues

Public interest functions, for example, reference of unduly lenient sentences to the Court of Appeal, bringing proceedings for contempt of court and intervention in certain proceedings to protect charities

Questions of law arising on Bills and with issues of legal policy

Legal aspects of all major international and domestic litigation involving the Government

Specific responsibilities for some elements of the Government’s Criminal Justice System targets.

Chair of the Inter-Ministerial Group on fraud, e-crime, bribery, and corruption

Minister of independent Cabinet rank

Jun 2003 –     Minister of State and Deputy to the Home Secretary, Home Office

Jul 2007         Responsible for the Office for Criminal Justice Reform and criminal law, race equality, international issues,  ministerial adviser on legal affairs,  all legislation in the Lords, Respect, anti-social behaviour policy, crime reduction strategy, youth crime,  and anti-domestic violence policy.

May 2005 –                Minister of State Criminal Justice System and Offender Management

July 2007         Development of integrated offender management programme

June 2003 –   Minister of State for Criminal Justice System and Law Reform and

June 2005    the spokesperson for DTI on Women and Equality Issues In the House of Lords

Overall responsibility for reform and modernisation of the Criminal Justice System Performance Service Agreement Targets 3&4 – narrowing the justice gap

Building confidence in the Criminal Justice System

Criminal Justice System IT and E-Government

Cabinet Office Spokesperson on Gender and Equality Issues.

2001 – 2003  Parliamentary Secretary and Deputy to the Lord Chancellor, Lord Chancellor’s Department

Responsible for:

Legal Aid, the Legal Services Commission and Community Legal Service

Civil Justice Policy

Civil Law Development

Domestic and International Legal Services

Legal Services Ombudsman

Law Commission

Commonhold and Leasehold

Immigration and Asylum Policy

International Policy and the European Union, including the Convention on the future of Europe

Judicial Group, other than individual appointments and casework

Land Registry

Government spokesperson in the House of Lords for Gender and Equality issues (supported by the Women’s Unit in the Cabinet Office)

2002 -2003   Alternate UK Government Representative for the European

Convention with specific responsibility for the European Charter

1999 – 2001   Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Responsible for:

North America

The Caribbean

Overseas Territories

Consulates

British Council

BBC World Service

Administration

1979 – 2009  Founding Member and subsequently Head of Chambers 1 Gray’s Inn Square, WC1

Awards inter alia

2011               Named one of the world’s fifty Women of Inspiration by WIE

2011                 Awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by Euromoney Legal Media

Group at European Women in Business Law Awards

2010               Voted No.1 position in the ‘New Nations’ Black Power List

2009                           Received  the UN Anti-Corruption Doha Award

2009               GV Media Group Limited Female Personality of the Year Award

2009               Black Solicitors Network Lifetime Achievement Award

2009               Voted No.1 position in the ‘New Nations’ Black Power List

2008                 Named the most powerful female black Briton by The Guardian

2008                           Caribbean World Award

2008                           Voted No.1 position in the ‘New Nations’ Black Power List

2007                           Awarded London Black Leaders Award

2006                           Awarded the Polish Medal for Contribution to Law Reform in Poland

2005                           Kathleen Carlin Justice Seekers Award (USA)

2005                           The Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year Awards

2004                           Peer of the Year in the House Magazine Awards

2004                           Peer of the Year in the Channel 4 Political Awards

2004                           Parliamentarian of the Year from the Political Studies Association

1992                           Black Woman of the Year (Law)

Memberships

Formerly a member of the Bar Public Relations Committee, Race

Relations Committee, Professional Conduct Committee, Judicial Studies Board Ethnic Minority Advisory Committee, House of Commons Working Party on Child Abduction, Legal Advisory Panel on the National Consumer Council, the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services and the National Advisory Committee on Mentally Disordered Offenders.  In addition, one of Her Majesty’s Commissioners for Racial Equality, a former Honorary President of the Trinity Hall Law Society, a former Chairman of the ILEA Disciplinary Tribunal, a member of the BBC.

World Service Consultative Group, Chairman of HMG Caribbean Advisory Group, the Dominican Representative of the Council of The British Commonwealth Ex-Service league and served as a member of the Millennium Commission from 1994-99.

 

Honorary Doctorates

University of Westminster

University of Buckingham

University of Leicester

University of East London

University of the West Indies

Honorary Fellowships

The Society for Advanced Legal Studies

Wolfson College, Cambridge

Cardiff University

Specialisations

Constitutional, Fraud, International Corruption, International Comparative, Family and Public law.

Human Rights and Equality issues.

Chaired and represented parties in a number of Inquiries relating to Child Abuse, Mental Health and Housing.

Additional Information

A Dame of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, patron of The Margaret Beaufort Institute, GAP, and Missio, and a member of the Thomas More Society and the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship. Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Domestic and Sexual Violence. Patron of Children and Families Across Borders.

Founding Patron of the Corporate Alliance Against Domestic Violence, and the Global Foundation for the Elimination of Domestic Violence (EDV) and Joint Patron of the National Pro Bono Center

Acts of Parliament

Responsible for all legislation in each department during 1999 – 2010 including inter alia:

Bribery Act 2010

Policing and Crime Act 2009

Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008

Serious Crime Act 2007

Charities Act 2006

Fraud Act 2006

Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006

Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005

Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005

Civil Partnership Act 2004

Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004

Land Registration Act 2002

Criminal Justice Act 2003

International Criminal Court Act 2001

Access to Justice Act 1999

EDITOR:  See Daily Telegraph Article from Sept. 2009: “Attorney General Baroness Scotland: Lady Scotland was seen as a safe pair of hands” republished today