A lengthy process to remove a Scots judge has cost taxpayers £541,000 after serious allegations of misconduct came to light.
He was suspended back in December 2018, earning his full salary of £157,705 while facing serious allegations. Two tribunals later, he was finally removed in April last year.
The Crown Office had looked into the claims but decided there wasn’t enough evidence for a criminal case. Still, the independent tribunal found him unfit for the job.
A Freedom of Information request revealed just how much this whole process cost the public. Liam McArthur, a Scottish Lib Dems justice spokesman, expressed concern over the expenses but emphasized the importance of maintaining trust in the justice system.
The tribunal’s report detailed some pretty shocking behavior from Brown. He had kissed a woman on the lips and squeezed another woman’s buttocks, both of which were deemed unwelcome.
In 2018, he also made an inappropriate remark and touched a woman in a way that made her uncomfortable. The tribunal raised serious doubts about his character and integrity.
They concluded that the public expects judges to have high personal standards. Given the findings, they couldn’t say he would have the confidence of those appearing before him.
An earlier tribunal had found him inappropriate but not unfit for office, but that decision was overturned in 2022 due to new evidence.
Under Scottish law, if a judge is found unfit, the First Minister can remove them. Last June, Swinney took action to remove Brown from his position in the Sheriffdom of Grampian, Highland and Islands.
