Sheriff Deirdre MacNeill QC

Sheriff Deirdre MacNeill QC

In practice, she took part in the arbitration process that was put in place for survivors and families of those affected by the 1988 Piper Alpha disaster. She was made a QC in 1994.

She was appointed a sheriff in 1999 and served for ten years in Glasgow before being transferred to Edinburgh for the rest of her judicial career. She was an extremely popular sheriff with a reputation for being willing to listen and perhaps be persuaded to give young offenders a second chance. In Glasgow, she was instrumental in establishing Scotland’s first specialist family court.

She was a co-founder of the Scottish Young Lawyers’ Association who described her on social media as an “intelligent advocate and committed sheriff who really cared about the junior members of the profession and was always willing to help us in our endeavours”.

Rachel Kelsey of Sheehan Kelsey Oswald, family faw specialists posted on LinkedIn that Sheriff MacNeill was “one of the special band of women who accelerated change in our profession. She took her place with dignity, kindness and professionalism.”

She was extremely sociable and had a mischievous sense of humour. In one case she said in her sentencing remarks that she had noted from the offender’s police interview that he had told the investigating officers, “I’ve been an a**ehole,” and she commented, “I can only say I agree.” She told friends later that as soon as she said it she noticed the court reporter’s eyes light up and thought, “Oh, no!” The mother of the youngster was quoted as indignantly claiming that the sheriff was totally out of order calling her son that!

She will be sadly missed by many, including her brother, Calum MacNeill QC, son Jamie and granddaughters Heidi and Eva.