Sheriff Cottam is a graduate of Dundee University. He joined the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in 1996, starting as a depute in Inverness and worked in various roles in Aberdeen and Edinburgh thereafter, including a period as district procurator fiscal for West Lothian at Livingston.

He was an advocate depute, then senior advocate depute over two periods totalling six-and-a-half years. He was appointed as a summary sheriff in Lothian & Borders in 2017 and in October 2021 as a sheriff in South Strathclyde, Dumfries and Galloway based primarily at Lanark Sheriff Court.

Sheriff Pino Di Emidio, who was appointed director of the Judicial Institute in February, following the arrest of Sheriff Alistair Duff in January, said: “I am delighted that Adrian is joining the Judicial Institute.

“He brings a wealth of experience and will help the continuing development of the Institute and its resources as we implement our recovery plan.  I am also extremely grateful to Susan Craig for her outstanding contribution to the work of the Institute over the last four and half years.”