New sheriff heard loch was brim-full of whisky
Sheriff Hughes takes over from Sheriff Ruth Anderson QC who sat on the bench at Campbeltown for many years
CAMPBELTOWN’S new sheriff said that after hearing Campbeltown Loch may be ‘full to the brim’ with whisky it was the place for him.
At his induction on Tuesday afternoon, Patrick Hughes, 40, was quoting from the eponymous song Campbeltown Loch which says: ‘How nice it would be if the whisky was free And the Loch was filled up to the brim.’
Sheriff Hughes takes over from Sheriff Ruth Anderson QC who sat on the bench at Campbeltown for many years.
The induction ceremony was performed by Sheriff Principal Duncan Murray and as the appointment is made by the Queen, she was represented by the Lord Lieutenant of Argyll and Bute Patrick Stewart.
The Queen formally makes the appointment on the recommendation of the First Minister on the basis of a report by the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland.
During the ceremony, Sheriff Principal Murray, said: ‘It is my privilege and honour to welcome Sheriff Hughes as the new sheriff for Campbeltown.
‘But before I turn to address you on Sheriff Hughes I should like to take this public opportunity to again pay tribute to Sheriff Anderson who has served as sheriff in this court for many years.
‘Ruth Anderson is a feisty robust and practical lawyer who has done much in her tenure to support the administration and delivery of justice in this court.
‘As may be appreciated there was considerable interest from the professions in applying for the post of sheriff in Campbletown which also involves sitting in Oban.
‘It is a great credit to and endorsement of Sheriff Hughes, that he was successful in this competitive recruitment process.’
Sheriff Hughes grew up in Irvine where he attended St Michael’s Academy before studying law at Strathclyde university, with a year at the Université de Rouen in France.
He undertook further study at the college of Europe gaining a masters in European law.
When he returned to Scotland he began work with the crown office and procurator fiscal service. Concurrently he tutored public and EU law at Strathclyde university, and worked as an ad hoc translator for the European Law Journal.
After working as a trials depute in Glasgow, he spent a number of years at the crown office appeals unit. On leaving the the unit he was commissioned to act as an advocate depute in the sheriff appeal court.
He also acted for a period as head of the wildlife and environmental crime unit and was admitted as a solicitor-advocate at the beginning of 2016.
The Sheriffdom procurator fiscal for North Strathclyde, Laura Mundell spoke of Sheriff Hughes’ capacity for work and said: ‘He was a hard worker and was notoriously the last to leave the crown office in the evening. I am convinced there was one occasion when he did not leave at all.’
Welcoming Sheriff Hughes to Campbeltown, Dean of Faculty, Stephen MacSporran said: ‘It gives me great pleasure, on behalf of the local bar, to both welcome and congratulate Sheriff Hughes on his appointment as the sheriff for this court.
‘I hope that your tenure is a long and happy one. There will of course be days that you no doubt find frustrating but thankfully, in my experience, such days should not be a regular occurrence.’