Justice Secretary MacAskill appoints SNP leafleteer Moi Ali to ‘powerless’ judicial complaints role, will bent Scottish judges be held to account ?

Judicial complaints oversight without powers, the latest window dressing exercise from Kenny MacAskill. Scotland’s Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has announced the appointment of Moi Ali, an author & communications consultant & leafleteer to SNP MSP Angela Constance & SNP PPC Liz Bardell at the last election, to the role of the newly created Judicial Complaints Reviewer, who will review the handling of a complaints investigation into members of the judiciary to ensure that complaints have been dealt with in accordance with the Complaints about the Judiciary (Scotland) Rules 2011, rules which were written by the judiciary itself, waved through by Scottish Ministers & the Scottish Parliament.

The Judicial Complaints Reviewer has no powers whatsoever to consider the merits of any complaint or the disposal of the complaint. The appointment will be for a period of three years from 1 September 2011 to 31 August 2014, and will be paid a daily fee of £209. The appointment has been made with the approval of the Lord President.

Moi Ali has previously been critical of quangos such as the Equality & Human Rights Commission which she branded as letting down the very people it was set up to help in a Guardian article she authored in 2009 (Good article, lets hope she ends up telling us the Scots Judicial Complaints procedures is a big fat judicial racket – Ed)

More on how to complain about a judge in Scotland and what you can & cannot raise by way of a complaint can be found at the Scottish Judiciary website here : Judicial Complaints in Scotland

The Judicial Office for Scotland will consider any complaint about the personal conduct of judicial office holders, but cannot deal with complaints about judicial decisions or the way in which cases have been handled. The usual way to challenge a decision is to appeal. If you are considering appealing a judicial decision, we would recommend that you obtain legal advice. You can obtain such advice from a solicitor or the Citizens Advice Bureau. (Fat chance – Ed)

• Complaints About the Judiciary (Scotland) Rules 2011
  
• Guidance Leaflet
  
• Unacceptable Actions Policy
  
• Authorisations to Judicial Office Staff

If you wish to complain about the personal conduct of a judicial office holder whether inside or outside of the court, you should write to:

The Executive Director Judicial Office for Scotland
Judicial Office for Scotland
1A Parliament Square
Edinburgh
EH1 1RQ or email: judicialofficeforscotland@scotcourts.gov.uk

To put matters into perspective for those who may wish to complain about a member of Scotland’s judiciary :

How will new Judicial Complaints system handle hooker using Scottish judges who were subject to secret judicial snooping files ? Anyone who now complains about a judge, say for example, one who has rigged a verdict in a case where they or a relative have an undeclared financial interest, or the conduct of a sheriff who may have paid corrupt Police Officers to harass an opponent of a colleague or client of their own law firm, or even perhaps a member of the judiciary purchasing illegal pornography from the US via their wife’s credit card, will just have to be content with the ruling on the complaint from the Lord President, which will be  … “no case to answer”, because the Judicial Complaints Reviewer has no powers to alter any decisions in judicial complaints - (Just goes to show, if you want to complain about a Scottish judge, and have the evidence, go to the media and get some large headlines ! – Ed)

MacAskill announces powerless Judicial Complaints Reviewer @ £209 a day

Judicial Complaints Reviewer
12/08/2011

Cabinet Secretary for Justice Kenny MacAskill today announced the appointment of the first Judicial Complaints Reviewer.

Moi Ali is an author and Communications Consultant who has written a number of best selling books on public relations and marketing. She spent seven years on the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the world's largest healthcare regulator, where latterly she was Vice President and has also served two terms on the Board of Postwatch. Currently Moi is a member of the Lord Chancellor's review bodies, which investigates complaints about judges and magistrates and a member of the management board of Education Scotland.

Moi is a Governor at Edinburgh Napier University and a Public Appointments Ambassador for the Cabinet Office, which involves encouraging a more diverse range of applicants for public appointments. She is also a member of the Scottish Ambulance Service Board with a remuneration of £8,008 per annum. Moi brings a strong background in complaints handling and commitment to improving standards in public life to the post of Judicial Complaints Reviewer.

This is a new appointment, established by the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008 to review, when asked, the handling of a complaints investigation into members of the judiciary, to ensure that it has been dealt with in accordance with the Complaints about the Judiciary (Scotland) Rules 2011. The Reviewer has no powers to consider the merits of any complaint or the disposal of the complaint.

The appointment will be for a period of three years from 1 September 2011 to 31 August 2014, and will be paid a daily fee of £209. The appointment has been made with the approval of the Lord President.

All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees' political activity within the last 5 years (if there is one to be declared) to be made public. Ms Ali has helped to deliver leaflets for SNP MSP Angela Constance in the run up to Scottish elections and SNP PPC Liz Bardell during the last general election.