Part-time sheriff suspended over hedge fund probe

Peter Watson last sat at Perth Sheriff Court on 13 February and was suspended by Lord Gill on February 16.

Mr Watson was a former partner at Glasgow law firm Levy and MacRae – which is currently being sued by accountants Ernst and Young after the collapse of the Heather Capital hedge fund.

He was also a director of Mathon Ltd, a company affiliated with the collapsed fund.

The Judicial Office for Scotland said: “Sheriff Peter Watson was suspended from the office of part-time sheriff on 16 February 2015, in terms of section 34 of the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008.

“On Friday 13 February the Judicial Office was made aware of the existence of a summons containing certain allegations against a number of individuals including part-time sheriff Peter Watson.

“The lord president’s Private Office immediately contacted Mr Watson and he offered not to sit as a part-time sheriff on a voluntary basis, pending the outcome of those proceedings. Mr Watson e-mailed a copy of the summons to the lord president’s Private Office on Saturday 14 February.

“On Monday 16 February the lord president considered the matter. Having been shown the summons, the lord president concluded that in the circumstances a voluntary de-rostering was not appropriate and that suspension was necessary in order to maintain public confidence in the judiciary.

“Mr Watson was therefore duly suspended from office on Monday 16 February 2015.”