William Nimmo Smith, Lord Nimmo Smith

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Elizabeth
Personal details
Born
William Austin Nimmo Smith

(1942-11-06) 6 November 1942 (age 81)
SpouseJennifer Main
ResidenceEdinburgh
Alma materBalliol College, Oxford; University of Edinburgh
ProfessionJudge

William Austin Nimmo Smith (6 November 1942) is a former

Supreme Courts of Scotland, sitting in the High Court of Justiciary and the Inner House of the Court of Session. He retired from this position on 30 September 2009.[1]

Early life

Nimmo Smith was educated as a

LL.B. 1967). He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1969.[2][3]

Legal career

Nimmo Smith was appointed Standing Junior Counsel (legal advisor appointed by the

the Crown in prosecutions and appeals in the High Court. From 1986 to 1991, he was Chairman of the Medical Appeal Tribunals and the Vaccine Damage Tribunals, and from 1988 to 1996 was a part-time member of the Scottish Law Commission.[2][3]

Inquiries and reports

In 1993, he was appointed along with James Friel, Senior Procurator Fiscal of

Lord Rodger of Earlsferry, and found no evidence of the existence of such a Magic Circle, but strongly criticised some police officers, who it said had treated rumours as fact or had been motivated by homophobia.[2][3][4][5]

In 1995 he was appointed by Michael Forsyth, the Secretary of State for Scotland, to conduct a local inquiry with the terms of reference: "To inquire into the question whether Monklands District Council have failed to comply with the duty imposed on them by section 7 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 to make appointments to paid office or employment on merit, and to report thereon."[6] After conducting the inquiry, which included the taking of evidence at hearings open to the public, he reported on 15 December 1995 that there was no evidence that any such appointment had been made otherwise than on merit. The Secretary of State so advised Parliament on 20 December 1995.[7]

The Bench

Nimmo Smith was appointed a temporary judge of the

Privy Council, affording him the style, The Right Honourable.[2] As a judge of the Inner House he served as a member of the Registration Appeal Court from 2005 to 2009. He retired on 30 September 2009.[1]

Personal life

Nimmo Smith married Jennifer Main in 1968, with whom he has a son and a daughter, the novelist

Lord Macfadyen.[8]

See also

  • List of Senators of the College of Justice

References

  1. ^ a b "EXECUTIVE NOTE: THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF JUDGES (TRANSITIONAL PROVISION) (SCOTLAND) ORDER 2009". Scottish Government. August 2009. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  2. ^
    Scottish Court Service. Archived from the original
    on 4 October 2007. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  3. ^
    Scottish Executive
    . 17 January 2002. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  4. ^ "House of Lords Debate: Nimmo Smith-Friel Report". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 26 January 1993. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  5. ^ "Fettesgate: 'Magic Circle' spells panic in the police". Edinburgh Evening News. 24 February 2009. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  6. ^ Hansard, House of Commons vol. 263, 13 July 1995
  7. ^ Hansard, House of Commons vol. 268, 20 December 1995
  8. ^ "Historic Cockburn Association Office-Bearers".
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