New public defender appointed for north of Scotland

Press Release issued by the Scottish Legal Aid Board on behalf of PDSO, the Public Defence Solicitors' Office
Wednesday 24 November 2004

The Public Defence Solicitors' Office, or PDSO as it is known, has announced that a further solicitor has joined their team of public defenders in the north of Scotland. Joanna McDonald, a leading Edinburgh criminal lawyer, has joined PDSO to provide people with quality advice and representation in criminal court cases in the Highlands and Moray

Welcoming her appointment to the PDSO, Joanna said:

"I'm delighted to have joined the Public Defence Solicitors Office to help its expansion into the Highlands. PDSO has only been running for six months in the area, and I look forward to working with my colleague Eilidh MacDonald to develop this new service in the north of Scotland.”

“We offer a new type of service for people involved in a criminal case who require legal help. Anyone who is eligible for criminal legal aid can use the services of the PDSO. Our job is to give our clients a high quality advice and legal representation service. We also aim to provide information and links to other organisations who can offer help with other problems a client may face, such as on employment or health issues."

Joanna has joined PDSO from Edinburgh based legal firm McCourts, where as an associate, she built a reputation for her work at defending a number of high profile clients. Joanna qualified as a solicitor from Dundee University in 1994, and also holds a diploma in forensic medicine.

The Highlands PDSO is based in Inverness but serves people facing criminal charges in the Highlands and Moray, including the courts at Inverness, Elgin, Dingwall, Tain and Dornoch. It opened in May 2004, and is led by local solicitor Eilidh MacDonald. PDSO is based at 17 Queensgate in Inverness and can be contacted by phoning 01463 709680.

The north of Scotland PDSO started following a decision by Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson MSP that the system of public defenders would be expanded outside of Edinburgh, where an office has been running for six years. As well as the new Inverness office, another in Glasgow was opened. All of the public defence solicitors in PDSO are experienced criminal court lawyers. Each of them is paid a fixed annual salary, rather than being paid on a case by case basis in the way that private solicitors operate.

ENDS

Journalists please contact:

* PDSO, Inverness: Eilidh MacDonald, tel 01463 709680, mobile 07867 667277

* Scottish Legal Aid Board: Colin Sim direct tel 0131 240 2033 or email simco@slab.org.uk.