Robert Weir, Lord Weir
Lord Weir | |
|---|---|
| Senator of the College of Justice | |
| Assumed office 9 April 2020 | |
| Nominated by | Nicola Sturgeon As First Minister |
| Monarchs | Elizabeth II Charles III |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Bruce Weir |
| Alma mater | Durham University (BA) University of Dundee (LLB) |
| Occupation | Advocate |
| Profession | Lawyer Judge |
Robert Bruce Weir, Lord Weir is a Scottish judge. He has been a Senator of the College of Justice since 9 April 2020.
Early life and education
Weir is the son of Bruce Weir, who was also a Senator of the College of Justice. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy. He graduated from Durham University with a BA in History and obtained his LLB from Dundee University.[1]
Career
Weir joined Scottish law firm of Maclay Murray & Spens as a trainee solicitor in 1992, and was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1995.[1] He practised principally in commercial dispute resolution, with a speciality in maritime law. Wier was an Advocate Depute between 2005 and 2008 and took silk in 2010.[1]
He was appointed as a Sheriff in 2015 sitting in South Strathclyde, Dumfries and Galloway until 2018, at which he was appointed a resident Sheriff at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.[2] He was selected to hear cases in the All Scotland Personal Injury Court located at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.[3] As a Sheriff, Weir determined that a woman had been raped by a man who had earlier been acquitted of rape following a trial in the High Court of Justiciary where the acquittal had been by the controversial not proven verdict. It was the first time in recent legal history in Scotland that a person acquitted of rape had been sued for damages.[4]
Weir was installed as a Senator of the College of Justice in April 2020 taking the judicial title Lord Weir.[5] He had sat as a Temporary Judge of the High Court between 2017 and his appointment as a Senator of the College of Justice.[6] He is a member of the Personal Injury Committee of the Scottish Civil Justice Council, and has served as its chair since November 2023.[7][8] In March 2024, it was announced that Weir would chair a public inquiry regarding the way in which allegations of misconduct against Sam Eljamel, a brain surgeon, were handled by NHS Tayside.[9]
References
- ^ a b c "Appointment of new Sheriffs". Faculty of Advocates. Faculty of Advocates. 16 April 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
- ^ "New sheriffs appointed". Scottish Legal News. Scottish Legal News. 17 April 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
- ^ "Two sheriffs appointed to All Scotland PI Court". The Journal. Law Society of Scotland. 2 May 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
- ^ "Scottish civil court rules that acquitted man did rape student". The HGuardian. The Guardian. 5 October 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
- ^ "Lord Weir becomes Scotland's latest judge". The Journal. Law Society of Scotland. 9 April 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
- ^ "The Hon Lord Weir (Robert Weir)". judiciary.scot. Judiciary of Scotland. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
- ^ "Current Personal Injury Committee Members". Scottish Civil Justice Council. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
- ^ "Lord Weir appointed as Chair of the Personal Injury Committee". Scottish Civil Justice Council. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
- ^ "Lord Weir to chair public inquiry into disgraced surgeon". Scottish Legal News. Scottish Legal News. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2025.