ONE OF OUR JUDGES IS A BENEFITS CHEAT– reveals investigation into undeclared criminal habits, tax dodging & secret fiddles of Scottish judiciary

Shame on them – Benefits Cheat & tax dodging Scottish judges at Court of Session. AN INVESTIGATION into the shady double lives of Scotland’s allegedly unimpeachable judiciary has revealed one of Scotland’s judges is A CONVICTED BENEFITS CHEAT. Law Journalists who are currently investigating the secretive Scottish judiciary have also turned up a host of other criminal charges, irregular activities such as tax dodging via offshore trusts, allegations of associations between judges & members of criminal gangs, regular liaisons with male & female prostitutes, membership of secret societies, and allegations of “bungs” taken in criminal trials, all of which appear to be known to the authorities yet no action has ever been taken despite concerns knowledge of the backgrounds of certain judges has led to altered verdicts and the collapse of criminal trials in Scotland’s courts.

Sensitive files passed to Scottish Law Reporter along with media reports identifying several currently serving Scottish judges who have criminal records, confirm that one of our judges is indeed, a convicted benefits cheat, yet the story only came to light after dogged Freedom of Information requests revealed the case, which the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service COPFS) had tried to cover up from the general public and had apparently warned journalists away from reporting.

Speaking to Scottish Law Reporter, a legal insider has told of how the Crown Office kept the case against the judge secret, by insisting on anonymity during criminal proceedings, and attempts to move the case from one court to another around Scotland, so journalists would not catch on.

The insider has also claimed there are worries within the Police & Crown Office that criminals & vested interests have been using knowledge of the seedy & undeclared financial backgrounds of some of the judges to alter the course of criminal trials & civil cases in Scotland’s courts, a worrying fact which brings into question the motives of current Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland’s apparent sanctioning of the cover up over criminal cases involving members of Scotland’s judiciary.

A senior QC also warned that influence over criminal trials “is not a one way business exclusive to those charged with criminal offences”, citing a feeling among his colleagues that prosecutors have been choosing certain judges with unclear financial backgrounds” to hear criminal trials where evidence brought before the court was “distinctly dodgy” and may otherwise have been thrown out… (Crown Office fixers at it again ? – Ed)

No one from the Crown Office or the Scottish Court Service were willing to comment on the allegations.

MYSTERY OF JUDGE CONVICTED OF BENEFIT FRAUD

Crown Office refuse to identify judge convicted of benefit fraud

Mar 11 2012 Exclusive by Russell Findlay

A JUDGE has been convicted of benefit fraud – but his or her name is being kept secret. The Crown Office are even refusing to say if the fraudster is a High Court judge, sheriff or justice of the peace.

Legal campaigner and blogger Peter Cherbi discovered he or she was one of six judges convicted of crimes since 2005. Five were found guilty of road traffic offences but one admitted fiddling benefits while he or she passed judgment on other criminals. Officials also refuse to reveal how much was stolen or where the fraud took place. The mystery judge was convicted under section 111A(1)(a) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992.

While this identity is protected, the Crown Office have issued two press releases in the past four months naming others convicted under exactly the same section. One of them, who asked not to be identified, said: “My name, date of birth and where I’m from are online. “It was wrong but it is even more important for the public to know about a judge convicted of the same fraud.”

Labour justice spokesman Lewis Macdonald MSP said: “I would have thought the same rules should apply for members of the public and judges.”

The Crown Office keep a “hard copy file” of the six but say keeping the details secret is in the “public interest”.

Cherbi said: “People in front of a judge should know if they have a criminal record – that’s in the public interest.” He also asked the Judicial Office of Scotland to reveal the name under freedom of information law, without success.

PRESSURE OVER CHEATING JUDGE

MSP calls on Crown Office to reveal name of benefits cheat judge

Mar 12 2012 By Magnus Gardham

THE Crown Office came under fresh pressure yesterday to name a judge who has been convicted of benefit fraud. SNP MSP John Finnie, a member of Holyrood’s justice committee, added his weight to the demands for the cheating judge to be publicly identified.

It emerged at the weekend that six judges have been convicted of offences since 2005. Five were found guilty of road traffic offences but one of them admitted fiddling benefits. It is not known whether the person was a high court judge, a sheriff or a justice of the peace. Nor is it known how much cash was defrauded.

The Crown Office, who will not even confirm if the judge was male or female, insisted secrecy was “in the public interest”. But Finnie said yesterday: “The law should treat everyone equally, regardless of who they are and what they do, and this is something that should be looked into.”

The Crown Office often name and shame benefit fraudsters by issuing press releases about them. Campaigner Peter Cherbi, who uncovered the secrecy, said: “People in front of a judge should know if they have a criminal record.”