Ann Paton, Lady Paton
Encyclopedia
Ann Paton, is a Scottish lawyer and Senator of the College of Justice
, a judge of the country's Supreme Courts
, sitting in the High Court of Justiciary
and the Inner House
of the Court of Session
. She was the second woman ever appointed to the Scottish Bench, after Lady Cosgrove
.
Laurel Bank School for Girls. She was dux in 1969. She studied at the University of Glasgow
(M.A.
, LL.B.) and was awarded the John MacCormick Prize for the most distinguished law graduate of 1974. She married James Paton in 1974, and was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates
in 1977.
in 1979, and to the Office of Fair Trading
in 1981. She took silk
in 1990 and served as an Advocate Depute from 1992 to 1994. She was a member of the Working Party responsible for the 3rd edition of the Ogden Tables (1998). From 1995 to 2000, she was a member of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board and Director of the Scottish Council of Law Reporting from 1995 until her appointment as a Judge. She was appointed a Senator of the College of Justice
in 2000, a judge of the Supreme Courts of Scotland. She was promoted to the Inner House
of the Court of Session
in 2007, and appointed to the Privy Council. She sits in the Second Division.
Lady Paton was a member of the Parole Board for Scotland from 2003 until 2007. She chaired the Personal Injuries User Group in the Court of Session from 2003 to 2008. She chairs the Judicial Studies Working Party in Scotland responsible for the Scottish Equal Treatment Benchbook: Guidance for the Judiciary (1st edition 2002; 2nd edition 2008).
, later a fellow judge as Lord McEwan. She undertook two subsequent revisions as sole author; the first in 1989, as Damages in Scotland, and the second in 1997, as Damages for Personal Injuries in Scotland. She continues as sole editor of the work which is now in loose leaf
form. She was the author of the Faculty Digest 1971-80, a survey of cases decided in the Scottish Courts during that decade.
Senator of the College of Justice
The Senators of the College of Justice are judges of the College of Justice, a set of legal institutions involved in the administration of justice in Scotland. There are three types of Senator: Lords of Session ; Lords Commissioner of Justiciary ; and the Chairman of the Scottish Land Court...
, a judge of the country's Supreme Courts
College of Justice
The College of Justice is a term used to describe the Supreme Courts of Scotland, and its associated bodies.The constituent bodies of the supreme courts of Scotland are the Court of Session, the High Court of Justiciary, and the Accountant of Court's Office...
, sitting in 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...
and the Inner House
Inner House
The Inner House is the senior part of the Court of Session, the supreme civil court in Scotland; the Outer House forms the junior part of the Court of Session. It is a court of appeal and a court of first instance...
of the Court of Session
Court of Session
The Court of Session is the supreme civil court of Scotland, and constitutes part of the College of Justice. It sits in Parliament House in Edinburgh and is both a court of first instance and a court of appeal....
. She was the second woman ever appointed to the Scottish Bench, after Lady Cosgrove
Hazel Cosgrove, Lady Cosgrove
The Right Honourable Hazel Josephine Cosgrove, Lady Cosgrove, CBE , is a Scottish lawyer, and was the first woman to be appointed a Senator of the College of Justice, a judge of Scotland's Supreme Courts....
.
Early life
Born Ann McCargow, she was educated at the independentIndependent school (UK)
An independent school is a school that is not financed through the taxation system by local or national government and is instead funded by private sources, predominantly in the form of tuition charges, gifts and long-term charitable endowments, and so is not subject to the conditions imposed by...
Laurel Bank School for Girls. She was dux in 1969. She studied at the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
(M.A.
Master of Arts (Scotland)
A Master of Arts in Scotland can refer to an undergraduate academic degree in humanities and social sciences awarded by the ancient universities of Scotland – the University of St Andrews, the University of Glasgow, the University of Aberdeen and the University of Edinburgh, while the University of...
, LL.B.) and was awarded the John MacCormick Prize for the most distinguished law graduate of 1974. She married James Paton in 1974, and was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates
Faculty of Advocates
The Faculty of Advocates is an independent body of lawyers who have been admitted to practise as advocates before the courts of Scotland, especially the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary...
in 1977.
Legal career
Paton was appointed Standing Junior Counsel to the Queen's and Lord Treasurer's RemembrancerQueen's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer
The Queen's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer is an officer in Scotland who represents the Crown's interests in bona vacantia, ultimus haeres and treasure trove....
in 1979, and to the Office of Fair Trading
Office of Fair Trading
The Office of Fair Trading is a not-for-profit and non-ministerial government department of the United Kingdom, established by the Fair Trading Act 1973, which enforces both consumer protection and competition law, acting as the UK's economic regulator...
in 1981. She took silk
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
in 1990 and served as an Advocate Depute from 1992 to 1994. She was a member of the Working Party responsible for the 3rd edition of the Ogden Tables (1998). From 1995 to 2000, she was a member of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board and Director of the Scottish Council of Law Reporting from 1995 until her appointment as a Judge. She was appointed a Senator of the College of Justice
Senator of the College of Justice
The Senators of the College of Justice are judges of the College of Justice, a set of legal institutions involved in the administration of justice in Scotland. There are three types of Senator: Lords of Session ; Lords Commissioner of Justiciary ; and the Chairman of the Scottish Land Court...
in 2000, a judge of the Supreme Courts of Scotland. She was promoted to the Inner House
Inner House
The Inner House is the senior part of the Court of Session, the supreme civil court in Scotland; the Outer House forms the junior part of the Court of Session. It is a court of appeal and a court of first instance...
of the Court of Session
Court of Session
The Court of Session is the supreme civil court of Scotland, and constitutes part of the College of Justice. It sits in Parliament House in Edinburgh and is both a court of first instance and a court of appeal....
in 2007, and appointed to the Privy Council. She sits in the Second Division.
Lady Paton was a member of the Parole Board for Scotland from 2003 until 2007. She chaired the Personal Injuries User Group in the Court of Session from 2003 to 2008. She chairs the Judicial Studies Working Party in Scotland responsible for the Scottish Equal Treatment Benchbook: Guidance for the Judiciary (1st edition 2002; 2nd edition 2008).
Publications
Paton's first publication on joining the Scottish Bar was a Map of the Sheriffdoms and Sheriff Court Districts in Scotland, published by W. Green, Law Publishers in association with John Bartholomew & Son Ltd. She was Joint Assistant Editor of Gloag and Henderson, The Law of Scotland, from the 8th edition (1980) to the 10th edition (1995). In 1983, Paton co-authored A Casebook on Damages in Scotland with Robin McEwanRobin McEwan, Lord McEwan
Robin Gilmour McEwan, Lord McEwan is a Scottish lawyer and former judge of the High Court of Justiciary and Court of Session, the country's Supreme Courts.-Early life:...
, later a fellow judge as Lord McEwan. She undertook two subsequent revisions as sole author; the first in 1989, as Damages in Scotland, and the second in 1997, as Damages for Personal Injuries in Scotland. She continues as sole editor of the work which is now in loose leaf
Looseleaf service
A looseleaf service is a type of publication used in legal research which brings together both primary and secondary source materials on a specific field or topic in law...
form. She was the author of the Faculty Digest 1971-80, a survey of cases decided in the Scottish Courts during that decade.