On Wednesday 21 December 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 from London to New York was blown up over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing two hundred and seventy people. In 1991, two Libyan men were indicted for the bombing, but their trial did not begin until May 2000. The trial itself was held in a special sitting of the High Court of Justiciary, sitting as the Scottish Court in the Netherlands, at Camp Zeist, a former US Air Force base in Utrecht, Netherlands. Hardie took over as Lord Advocate shortly before arrangements for the trial were agreed, and it was intended he would lead the prosecution team, however he resigned as Lord Advocate in March 2000, two months before the trial was scheduled to begin,[6][7] and was forced to defend himself against accusations of having 'abandoned' the victims' families.[8][9] He was succeeded as Lord Advocate by the Solicitor General, Colin Boyd.
The Bench
Lord Hardie was appointed a Judge of the Court of Session and High Court of Justiciary in March 2000.[10] In 2008, a review of judicial performance named him as "Scotland's worst judge".[11][12] The figures showed that eighty-four sentences imposed by Hardie had been overturned on appeal, all having been reduced, while two convictions were overturned, although both these convictions arose from the one case, in which it was found Hardie had misdirected the jury on a point of law.[11]
Hardie was appointed to the Inner House of the Court of Session in 2010 and retired on 31 December 2012.
The Tram Inquiry
Lord Hardie was appointed as chair of The Tram Inquiry. [13] Lord Hardie's probe has now lasted longer than the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war. [14]
Concealing child abuse
The father of two children molested by John Watt QC told a court during the trial of Watt that he told Lord Hardie about the abuse while Hardie was Watt's devilmaster. Lord Hardie did not go to the police to report this child abuse. Watt was convicted in 2022 of assaults on four children including rape. The mother of one of the children said: "If anyone learns that a colleague has abused a child, they should go to the police, no question. Anyone who touches a child in a sexual manner is a danger to all children. If that is where their interests lie, they will do anything to be alone with children". "It is hard to understand how someone who would be dean responsible for the conduct of advocates, the lord advocate, responsible for prosecution, and a High Court judge could fail to do what needed to be done".[15]
Arms
Coat of arms of Andrew Hardie, Baron Hardie
Crest
A sheep rampant Proper holding in its forefeet a garland composed of dexter hops and sinister barley all Or.
Escutcheon
Gules two spur rowels of five points in chief and a balance in base Argent.
Supporters
Dexter a male figure attired in the robes of the Lord Advocate Proper sinister a lion rampant Sable armed langued and queued Gules wearing a collar Or from which is pendent a castle triple-towered and embattled Sable masoned and windowed Argent portcullis shut Gules.
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