Gerard Sinclair
Encyclopedia
Gerard Sinclair LLB is Chief Executive of the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission
(SCCRC).
and English law
. As a solicitor
in private practice for 19 years, and a senior partner with a Glasgow
law firm, his legal experience covered all areas of criminal, civil and commercial litigation. He has served as a member of the Council of the Law Society of Scotland
and is also involved on the Law Society Criminal Law Committee. In May 2006 he was appointed a part-time sheriff
.
and in 2007 referred the case back to the High Court of Justiciary
for a fresh appeal.
Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission
The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission is a non-departmental public body in Scotland, established by the Criminal Procedure Act 1995 ....
(SCCRC).
Background
Gerard Sinclair is qualified in both Scots lawScots law
Scots law is the legal system of Scotland. It is considered a hybrid or mixed legal system as it traces its roots to a number of different historical sources. With English law and Northern Irish law it forms the legal system of the United Kingdom; it shares with the two other systems some...
and English law
English law
English law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countries and the United States except Louisiana...
. As a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
in private practice for 19 years, and a senior partner with a Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
law firm, his legal experience covered all areas of criminal, civil and commercial litigation. He has served as a member of the Council of the Law Society of Scotland
Law Society of Scotland
The Law Society of Scotland is the professional governing body for Scottish solicitors.It promotes excellence among solicitors through representation, support and regulation of its members. It also promotes the interests of the public in relation to the profession...
and is also involved on the Law Society Criminal Law Committee. In May 2006 he was appointed a part-time sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
.
SCCRC
Gerard Sinclair became the SCCRC's Chief Executive on June 30, 2003. He is responsible for the day to day management of the Commission, and for ensuring the efficient and expeditious progressing of the Commission's cases. The SCCRC conducted a review of the conviction of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trialPan Am Flight 103 bombing trial
The Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial began on 3 May 2000, 11 years, 4 months and 13 days after the destruction of Pan Am Flight 103 on 21 December 1988...
and in 2007 referred the case back to the High Court of Justiciary
High Court of Justiciary
The High Court of Justiciary is the supreme criminal court of Scotland.The High Court is both a court of first instance and a court of appeal. As a court of first instance, the High Court sits mainly in Parliament House, or in the former Sheriff Court building, in Edinburgh, but also sits from time...
for a fresh appeal.