Three new members for Scottish Criminal Case Review Commission

The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission is a public body which was established in April 1999 by an Act of Parliament.

They review cases to assess whether a miscarriage of justice may have occurred in any given case. They undertake this role completely independent of Parliament, the Scottish Government, the Crown Office, the judiciary and the defence. All cases accepted by them are subjected to a robust, thorough and impartial review before a decision on whether or not to refer to the High Court is taken.

Colin Dunipace, a graduate of the University of Strathclyde, is an experienced solicitor-advocate having qualified in 1989, and has specialised in the practise of Criminal Law within a three partner firm in Cumbernauld for over twenty years. He is a Council and Board member of the Law Society and serves on their Criminal Law Committee. Mr Dunipace also convenes a Law Society Professional Conduct Committee and Appeals & Review Sub- Committees of the Society and has been appointed as a Criminal Peer Reviewer by the Scottish Legal Aid Board. Since 2010, he has been a part-time stipendiary magistrate in Glasgow and was appointed as president of the Association of Part-Time Stipendiary Magistrates. He was also appointed by the Lord President to serve on the Police Appeals Tribunal.

Professor Jim Fraser has extensive experience of criminal justice systems in the UK as an operational expert witness, case reviewer, senior police manager, independent consultant and policy advisor. He is an experienced and qualified manager, academic, teacher and researcher, public speaker and writer. Professor Fraser has been involved directly as an expert witness, or in an advisory capacity, in several thousand criminal cases. He has also advised a range of agencies and other bodies on forensic, scientific and investigative matters, including police organisations in the UK and abroad, the Home Office, the Scottish Government, and Scottish and Westminster Parliamentary Committees.

Dr Rajan Darjee is a Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer in Forensic Psychiatry at the University of Edinburgh, a Clinical Lead with the NHS Scotland Forensic Network and an Accredited Risk Assessor with the Risk Management Authority. He has worked in a number of forensic mental health and criminal justice settings including secure hospitals, prisons and the community. Dr Darjee is a national expert on mentally disordered offenders, sexual offender s and risk assessment and has undertaken research and published on topics including mental health law, mental illness and violence, sexual offending and risk assessment. He has prepared reports and given evidence in a number of criminal cases.

These appointments commenced on the 1st of July 2015 and will end on the 30th of June 2019.

These appointments are part-time and attract a remuneration of £252 per day for a time commitment of 3-4 days per month.

Colin Dunipace, Professor Jim Fraser and Dr Rajan Darjee do not hold any other appointments on any Board.