Sheriff John Rafferty will preside over his final court this month, bringing to a close a legal career spanning private practice, academia and the judiciary.

“It’s been a terrific experience and at times a challenging experience but it’s been a complete joy,” he told The Courier.

“I’ve spent my time working as a solicitor, tutoring at the Glasgow school of law, being a part-time and full-time sheriff. I’ve found them all extremely rewarding.”

Originally from Glasgow, Sheriff Rafferty trained with Maguire Cook and Co before moving into personal injury litigation for pursuers in heavy industry. He later founded Rafferty Wood and Co, where he also undertook criminal work.

Appointed as a part-time sheriff in 2008, he sat in courts across Scotland, from Lochmaddy in the Outer Hebrides to Selkirk in the Borders, before taking up a full-time post in Dundee – his “first choice”.

“The size of the court in Dundee is almost ideal to deal with local issues,” he said.

Reflecting on sentencing, he pointed to the availability of more “sophisticated” disposals and the importance of balancing objectivity with the interests of victims.

“I have to take an objective view of issues such as sentencing and an objective view may be removed from the subjective view held by the victim – although victims’ views are increasingly taken into account,” he said.

Among the many cases he handled, one of the most notable came in 2016, when he ordered a woman convicted of a road rage offence to demonstrate her knitting skills rather than undertake unpaid work.

“It came out she was capable of making clothes and, rather than place her on extensive public work, I ordered her to make children’s clothes and bring them to court,” he said.

“The clothes were of a very high standard and were distributed to – with the assistance of her solicitor – a facility in Dundee for single mothers and their young children.”

Despite attracting criticism, he defended the decision, noting it had the support of the Judicial Institute for Scotland.

“It’s not my job to attract either favourable or unfavourable publicity, it’s my job to try and issue the correct sentence in the correct circumstances and that’s what I did,” he said.

Sheriff Rafferty also paid tribute to colleagues and court staff, singling out Sheriff Alastair Carmichael as a personal influence. Sheriff Carmichael has utilised technology to continue working in the courts despite a diagnosis of motor neurone disease. 

“Alastair Carmichael has been one of the very few people who has had that impact on me and I’m grateful to have been a colleague of his for nine years,” he said.

Looking ahead to retirement, he plans to travel to Antarctica and spend more time skiing and improving his golf. Sheriff Mark O’Hanlon will take over as full-time summary sheriff in Dundee later this month.