SHERIFF ROBERT ANTHONY, who was appointed in 2007 after the consequential vacancy arising on the Shrieval bench following the appointment in early 2007 year of Sheriff Hugh Matthews QC to the Court of Session, has quit his job after being suspended by the Lord President, Lord Hamilton when it was revealed Sheriff Anthony had been charged with drink-driving offences (DUI) while driving on the M8 near Harthill. Sheriff Anthony earned around £123,200.
First Minister Alex Salmond nominated Mr Anthony, 45, for appointment on the basis of a report by the independent Judicial Appointments Board. Sheriff Anthony had a commission enabling him to serve where required throughout Scotland's 49 sheriff courts. He sat mostly mostly in the sheriffdom of Glasgow and Strathkelvin.
Admitted as a solicitor in 1984 and to the Faculty of Advocates in 1988, Mr Anthony took silk in 2002. He served as an Advocate Depute, and latterly as a senior Advocate Depute, from 2001 until 2004. In July 2005 Mr Anthony was appointed as a part-time sheriff. He was appointed a Commissioner of the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission in March 2007.
The resignation of Sheriff Anthony parallels the case of the former (now deceased) Sheriff Mark Sischy, who similarly resigned from his position as a Sheriff in disgrace after being caught drink-driving, and amazingly returned to the Scottish judicial system as a £74,000-a-year chairman of employment tribunals. Scottish Law Reporter recently reported on events surrounding highly questionable tribunal decisions taken during the late Mr Sischy’s term as the tribunal’s chairman HERE where former St Andrews University lecturer Dr Declan Quigley raised allegations & complaints to Scotland’s Lord President, Lord Hamilton, of ‘buried evidence’ and named Court of Session judge Lady Smith in the complaint, more details of which can be found HERE
News report from “The Sun” follows :
By THOMAS SMITH
Published: 15 Oct 2010
A SHERIFF quit yesterday after appearing in court on a drink-driving charge.
Robert B Anthony, who sits at Glasgow Sheriff Court, resigned from his position after he was suspended by law chiefs. The 48-year-old, from Broxburn, West Lothian, had appeared at Linlithgow Sheriff Court on Wednesday and will appear again next Friday at Livingston Sheriff Court.
Last night a spokesman for the Judicial Office for Scotland said he was "immediately suspended" last month after being charged, pending the outcome of the case. The spokesman added: "Sheriff Anthony has resigned with immediate effect." The sheriff has raised his profile in his five years since being appointed to the bench.
Six months ago, he spared crime boss Eddie Lyons jail for mortgage fraud. The Lyons clan have been involved in a bloody feud with the rival Daniel gang in the north of Glasgow. Sheriff Anthony's claims that Eddie Lyons has "never caused any trouble to society" drew sniggers in court. The notorious gang lord had never been convicted before. He was cleared of attempted murder in 2001 and escaped charges again three years later after police seized £63,000 in alleged drug money from his home.
Fining Lyons, 52, just 300 hours' community service for £259,000 mortgage fraud, Sheriff Anthony told him: "As far as I'm concerned, you are a first offender and a man of mature years who has never caused any trouble to society."
In February this year, Sheriff Anthony jailed two thugs who filmed themselves attacking a stranger then posted the footage on YouTube. Caging the pair for two years, he told them: "This violent and unprovoked attack amounted to nothing more than bullying of a vulnerable member of society."
Last night a spokesman for Lothian and Borders Police said: "We can confirm that a male was charged with drink driving on September 30." He was charged under section five of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
Sheriff Anthony was unavailable for comment last night.
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