Taxpayers are facing a staggering £541,000 bill after a lengthy process to remove an Aberdeen judge accused of inappropriate behavior
Aberdeen: Wow, can you believe it? Taxpayers are stuck with a whopping £541,000 bill just to get rid of a judge who was accused of some pretty serious misconduct. It took five long years to finally remove Sheriff Jack Brown from his position.
He was suspended back in December 2018, earning a hefty salary of £157,705 while the whole mess was sorted out. There were two tribunals after the allegations came to light, but the Crown Office decided there wasn’t enough evidence for a criminal case.
Finally, in April last year, John Swinney announced that Brown was out after an independent tribunal found he just wasn’t fit for the job. A Freedom of Information request revealed the total cost to the public was £541,004, which is a real eye-opener.
Liam McArthur, the Scottish Lib Dems justice spokesman, said it was about time Brown was removed. He mentioned that while the cost is concerning, the public deserves to see justice served, especially with such serious allegations on the table.
Things got even more serious when a second tribunal reported last year that Brown had kissed a woman on the lips back in 2001 or 2002 and had also squeezed her buttocks. Both incidents were described as “unwelcome and unexpected.”
In 2018, he made an inappropriate comment to another woman and even touched her cheek and hugged her. The tribunal was clear: Brown’s behavior raised serious questions about his character and integrity.
They concluded that the public expects judges to have high personal standards, and it was clear that Brown’s actions could damage trust in the justice system.
It’s been a long road, and the whole situation has left many people in Aberdeen and beyond shaking their heads. If you want to keep up with the latest news from the city, there’s a free newsletter you can sign up for.
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Interestingly, an earlier tribunal in March 2021 found Brown acted inappropriately but wasn’t unfit for office. However, that decision was overturned in 2022 because they missed some key evidence. A fresh tribunal was set up, and it finally published its findings in 2024.
According to the Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014, if a tribunal finds a judge unfit for office, the First Minister can step in and remove them. Swinney did just that last June, putting an end to Brown’s time in the Sheriffdom of Grampian, Highland and Islands.
