Anne Smith, Lady Smith

Anne Mather Smith, Lady Smith, PC (born 16 March 1955) is a Scottish lawyer, and a judge of the Supreme Courts of Scotland.

This article is about the Scottish jurist. For other uses, see Ladysmith (disambiguation).

The Right Honourable

Lady Smith
Senator of the College of Justice
Assumed office
2001
Nominated byHenry McLeish
As First Minister
MonarchElizabeth II
Personal details
Born
Anne Mather

(1955-03-16) 16 March 1955
Spouse(s)David Alexander Smith
Alma materUniversity of Edinburgh
ProfessionAdvocate

Early life

Anne Mather was educated at Jordanhill School and Cheadle County Grammar School for Girls, before attending the School of Law of the University of Edinburgh, where she graduated with an LL.B. (Hons.).[1] She served a two-year apprenticeship with Shepherd and Wedderburn WS, and was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1980. She married David Alexander Smith WS in 1979.

Smith worked as Standing Junior Counsel to the Countryside Commission,[1] before becoming a Queen's Counsel in 1993.[1]

She served as a Temporary Sheriff from 1995 to 1999,[2] as Chairman of the Scottish Partnership on Domestic Abuse from 1998 to 2000,[1] and as an Advocate Depute from 2000 to 2001.[2] In April 2001 she was blamed by Donald Findlay QC for falling dress standards in the courts. In 1997, she had been the first woman to appear before the Court of Session in trousers; Findlay said that "The drop in standards began when female lawyers were allowed to wear trousers in court. They are all right for going to Tesco in, but not suitable dress for ladies to wear in court."[2] In November 2001, Smith was appointed a judge of the Court of Session and High Court of Justiciary, the Supreme Courts of Scotland, taking the judicial title, Lady Smith. Filling the vacancy created by Lord Gill's promotion to Lord Justice Clerk, she was only the third woman to be appointed to the College of Justice.

Lady Smith was appointed as chairwoman of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry in July 2016; since February 2017 she has been the sole member of the panel.[3]

On 25 January 2019 she was made an Honorary Fellow of The Academy of Experts in recognition of her contribution and work for Expert Witnesses.

Personal life

She married David Alexander Smith, a solicitor, in 1979, with whom she has a son and a daughter. She plays piano and flute, and her other interests include aerobics, skiing, swimming, gardening, and walking.

References
  1. "Biographies - The Hon Lady Smith". Scottish Court Service. Archived from the original on 23 September 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2009.
  2. "Trousers-row lawyer to sit on bench". The Scotsman. 26 November 2001. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  3. "Scottish Child Abuse inquiry to be extended". BBC News. 23 August 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  • profile at Judiciary of Scotland website
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