Perjury is the intentional act of swearing a false oath or falsifying an affirmation to tell the truth,whether spoken or in writing,concerning matters material to an official proceeding.
In the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms,a King's Counsel is a senior lawyer appointed by the monarch of the country as a "Counsel learned in the law". When the reigning monarch is a woman,the title is called Queen's Counsel (QC).
Thomas Sheridan is a Scottish politician who served as convenor of Solidarity from 2019 to 2021. He previously served as convenor of the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) from 1998 to 2004 and as co-convenor of Solidarity from 2006 to 2016. He was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Glasgow region from 1999 to 2007.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the principal public agency for conducting criminal prosecutions in England and Wales. It is headed by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Perverting the course of justice is an offence committed when a person prevents justice from being served on themselves or on another party. In England and Wales it is a common law offence,carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Statutory versions of the offence exist in Australia,Canada,Ireland,and New Zealand. The Scottish equivalent is defeating the ends of justice,although charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice are also raised in Scotland,while the South African counterpart is defeating or obstructing the course of justice. A similar concept,obstruction of justice,exists in United States law.
Michael Goodall Watson,Baron Watson of Invergowrie,is a British Labour Party politician. He has served in two legislatures in the United Kingdom and served as Minister for Culture and Sport in the Scottish Executive Cabinet.
His Majesty's Advocate General for Scotland is one of the Law Officers of the Crown,whose duty it is to advise the Crown and His Majesty's Government on Scots law. The Office of the Advocate General for Scotland is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. The position is currently held by Lord Stewart of Dirleton.
William Gordon Jackson KC is a senior Scottish lawyer who served as Dean of the Faculty of Advocates from 2016 until 2020. From 1999 to 2007,he was a Scottish Labour Party Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow Govan.
Lamin Khalifah Fhimah is a former station manager for Libyan Arab Airlines at Luqa Airport,Malta. On 31 January 2001,he was acquitted of 270 counts of murder in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial by a panel of three Scottish judges sitting in a special court at Camp Zeist,Netherlands,in light of evidence that he was in Sweden at the time of the bombing and therefore could not have been a participant. His co-accused,Abdelbaset al-Megrahi,was found guilty by unanimous decision of the court and sentenced to life imprisonment,but later released on compassionate grounds,having always maintained his innocence.
The Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial began on 3 May 2000,more than 11 years after the destruction of Pan Am Flight 103 on 21 December 1988. The 36-week bench trial took place at a specially convened Scottish Court in the Netherlands set up under Scots law and held at a disused United States Air Force base called Camp Zeist near Utrecht.
Andrew EdwardCoulson is an English journalist and political strategist.
Francis Mulholland,Lord Mulholland,is a Scottish judge who has been a Senator of the College of Justice since 2016. He previously served from 2011 to 2016 as Lord Advocate,one of the Great Officers of State of Scotland and the country's chief Law Officer,and as Solicitor General,the junior Law Officer.
Paul McBride QC was a Scottish criminal lawyer based in Edinburgh. He was a board member of the Scottish Legal Aid Board,and a former vice chairman of the Faculty of Advocates Criminal Bar Association. He died suddenly on a trip to Pakistan.
Her Majesty's Advocate v Thomas Sheridan and Gail Sheridan was the 2010 criminal prosecution of Tommy Sheridan,a former Member of the Scottish Parliament and his wife Gail Sheridan for perjury in relation to an earlier civil case called Sheridan v News Group Newspapers. Tommy Sheridan was found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison,whereas Gail was acquitted.
Lesley Thomson is a Scottish lawyer who served as the Solicitor General for Scotland from 2011 to 2016. She was appointed to the office on 19 May 2011,after the Scottish Parliament election,succeeding Frank Mulholland who was promoted to Lord Advocate.
Walter James WolffeFSAScotFRIAS is a Scottish advocate who served as Lord Advocate from 2016 to 2021. He previously served as Dean of the Faculty of Advocates from 2014 to 2016,and Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Advocates from 2013 to 2014.
Her Majesty's Advocate v Andrew Coulson was the trial of Andy Coulson,a former editor of the News of the World and former Director of Communications for David Cameron,on charges of perjury.
Aidan O'Neill KC is a Scottish advocate,barrister,and King's Counsel.
Prior to the 20th Century,there were few women in law in the United Kingdom. Prior to the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919,women were not permitted to practice law in the United Kingdom. By 1931 there were around 100 female solicitors. The first female-only law partnership was founded in 1933. By 2019 51% of British solicitors were women.
Keith Douglas Stewart,Baron Stewart of Dirleton is a British lawyer who specialises in criminal law. He was appointed Advocate General for Scotland on 15 October 2020,succeeding Lord Keen of Elie who resigned over United Kingdom Internal Market Bill.
